adminConrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
Schools in Makonde and Zvimba districts recently received 10 516 textbooks valued at over US$90 000 from USAID through a local non-governmental organisation Pamuhacha HIV and AIDS Prevention Project.
The books were handed over to 120 primary and secondary schools in the two districts. The donations dovetails with the competence based curriculum, which seeks to equip children with practical life changing skills.
Handing over the books to officials from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, Pamuhacha director, Ms Precious Nyamukondiwa said while the main focus was on fighting Covid-19, it was also prudent for the community to prioritise education since learners have been robbed of six months of learning due to the Covid-19 induced lock-down.
“While we have offered a hand in the community in the fight against Covid-19, we also saw it fit to source these books as a way of supporting the children in their education. We have 2 700 vulnerable children that we have been benefiting from Makonde and Zvimba.
“Although the donation is aimed at supporting these vulnerable children, the rest of the school children are also going to benefit,” she said.
She stressed the need to capacitate communities to reduce the number of vulnerable children.
In this regard, Pamuhacha donated 146 bicycles to community facilitators whose role is to help facilitate income generating projects for families to be able support children’s educational needs.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, provincial education director, Mr Gabriel Mhumha applauded the organisation for rising to the occasion in helping schools to prepare for the third and final phase that started yesterday.
“Everybody should have an input in the upbringing of our children particularly in their education.
“The lock-down exposed a number of anomalies that we ought to correct following the prolonged hiatus.
“Teachers have been involved in informal sector including artisanal mining while some school children were impregnated and got married, and it is our duty to help realign the two in line with formal education system,” he said.
Makonde district development coordinator, Mr Benjamin Zivanai called on communities to be gender sensitive and support girl child while non-governmental organisations were urged to establish sustainable projects through education to eradicate abuses and other problems.
Online Reporter