‘A’ Level learners transform communities

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

Three St John’s Advanced Level learners in Harare have mobilised resources for rural community projects where they are donating stationery and renovating school infrastructure as part of efforts to complement the Government’s community empowerment drive in line with President Mnangagwa’s mantra, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo”.

The three, Zheng Jin, Ryan Jackson and Ayaan Khan, said they have now set their eyes on other disadvantaged rural schools and communities.

Their aim is to give impetus to the Second Republic’s Education 5.0 model, which seeks to produce goods and services.

Resources are being mobilised from fundraising activities at the school and engagements with the corporate world, including their family businesses as they try to change lives of communities particularly the disadvantaged ones.

Efforts to empower youths will also go a long way in insulating them from vices such as drug abuse.

The trio started with Dudzi Primary School in Goromonzi District, Mashonaland East Province, last Thursday where they donated an assortment of stationery, installed six water taps on boreholes from which learners and the community can draw water.

They also installed a water tank.

The school also got 20 bags of cement to renovate classroom floors and bought window panes to repair broken windows and hired a grader to clear the football ground so that it becomes pupil friendly and usable.

In an interview soon after donating stationery, Jin said while they attend an affluent school, they wished to uplift the lives of others in poorly resourced communities.

“Our thrust is to fight poverty in communities and help fellow learners be able to achieve their vision. We want to play our part in helping our colleagues who might be disadvantaged. The three of us have leadership positions at school and we have many fundraising activities.

“We also use our leadership positions at school to mobilise resources and that will be complemented by our family businesses,” said Jin.