Women were weeping among the smoking remains of melting water tanks, hot corrugated iron and the fresh smell of burnt paint in wood as men sat speechless, teary-eyed and staring into nothingness.
Before them was a heap of mess, a five-in-one school building that housed grades 3-6 classes and an administration building, all burnt to the ground in less than an hour.
Their hard work, sweat, time, numerous pleas to have a school and money raised to build a school over the years, was gone by a single strike of a match.
All at the hands of raiding nearby settlers, who threatened to burn down the school for reasons known only to them.
Martin Talavura is a teacher at the St Francis Takubar Primary School at the back of Takubar village and Takubar industrial area that leads to Livuan village in the Kokopo district.
He was awoken at 5.48 am at his house at Sotek compound to the sound of bells ringing at the school when settlers at the New Radaaz compound entered the school area and started vandalizing school properties.
He thought it was just the usual morning school bell ringing as he proceeded to prepare breakfast for this children.
He was alerted by his children who returned to inform him that there was noise coming from the school.
I came out of the house and saw smoke rising up from the school.
I walked up and saw several people, but I was scared so I stood from afar.
Mr Martin Talavura
He stood and watched helplessly and in tears as the classrooms collapsed to the ground.
I stood and watched as the buildings burnt to the ground.
I saw this school start and was here to take in the new students.
My heart was heavy as tears clouded my eyes.
There were about 15 people, many were just boys led by a few men who came out of the school area and into the compound after burning down the buildings.
Talavura
He said the culprits were all just boys, citing that he did not know why the school has to suffer and could not understand why people had to attack a public institution.
Mr Talavura said the school was established in 2018 to cater for children in the areas of Kabaleo, Bitagalip, Livuan, Ramale, Takubar village and the industrial area, Tokua and even children of the perpetrators.