Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, [email protected]
COMMUNITIES in Beitbridge District are mobilising resources, in collaboration with Government and development partners, to build more low-cost boarding schools aimed at addressing the shortage of secondary schools. The initiative is also expected to curb juvenile delinquency, child marriages and teenage pregnancies, which have been linked to a rise in HIV infections.
The district has more than 70 primary schools and 18 secondary schools, most of which are located near ward centres and remain inaccessible to some villages.
Chief Matibe of Beitbridge East said pupils in certain areas walk more than 15km to reach the nearest secondary school, leaving many, particularly girls, vulnerable to abuse and risky behaviour.
“Our area has an acute shortage of standard educational facilities much to the disadvantage of school going children. In some cases, they are travelling for more than 15km to access educational facilities, especially secondary schools,” he said.
Chief Matibe was briefing journalists on the situation in his area regarding HIV initiatives being implemented with support from the National Aids Council. The traditional leader is also spearheading the “Not in my village” concept, which seeks to influence behaviour change and attitudes towards HIV testing and treatment.
He said, in some cases, the absence of feeder secondary schools forces pupils to stay alone in homes near existing schools or to drop out altogether.
“In some instances the children, especially girls, are vulnerable to abuse as they walk longer distances alone to and from school. So, working with the local Child Protection Committee and village heads we are rallying communities to pool resources and build more secondary schools to reduce cases of school drop outs, bush boarding and minimise the causes of juvenile delinquencies,” said Chief Matibe.
Mrs Takalani Shoko, a village health worker in the Makothe area of Beitbridge, said the community was ready to provide labour and mould bricks to construct low-cost schools.
“We have also noted that juvenile delinquency is common in child headed families where parents stay away either in urban areas or the diaspora,” she said.
Chairperson of Ward 3 Child Protection Committee, Mr Nicholas Ndou, said that through increased awareness of issues affecting children, some pupils had been re-enrolled in school.
As a short-term solution, Mr Ndou said communities were already pooling resources to establish primary and secondary schools.
In some areas, he said efforts were underway to encourage partnerships in constructing dormitories at selected secondary schools. As a starting point, communities were encouraged to get into partnerships where they mobilise resources and build dormitories at selected secondary schools.
“These will then have boarding facilities to accommodate pupils from faraway places pending the construction of more secondary schools. So far, we have a low cost boarding school at Tshitulipasi and have also converted some staff houses at Malungudzi High into dormitories for Form Four girls from faraway villages,” said Mr Ndou.
Senior Village Head Onias Nguluvhe from the Madaulo area called on Government, development partners and professionals from the district to invest in education infrastructure, including boarding facilities and science laboratories.
“We appreciate the support from NAC, Minister of Health and Child Care, the police and other stakeholders in ending this vice of child marriages, age mixing where adults date young vulnerable girls and even sexually abuse them,” he said.
Beitbridge District AIDS Coordinator Mr Edward Mulaudzi said authorities were concerned about rising cases of child marriages, teenage pregnancies and new HIV infections in the area.
He urged communities, schools and families to report cases of child abuse early and to work closely with health and law enforcement agencies to ensure survivors access medical care, counselling and justice.
“Beitbridge urban has the highest number of teenage pregnancies (303) followed by Majini (51) followed by Zezani and Chamunangana with (44) each. We are also worried with a trend where we are having more Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and so far more cases were recorded in the 25-49 years age group (141) followed by 20-24 years with 47 STI cases and the least was in the 10-14 years’ age, which recorded 1 case of STI,” said Mr Mulaudzi.
He added that Beitbridge has the highest number of new HIV infections, consistent with its status as a border town and transport hub, which increases vulnerability.
Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, who is also the legislator for Beitbridge East, Albert Nguluvhe, is on record saying education is one of the most important investments parents can make in their children’s future, hence the need for communities and Government to pool resources and construct more schools in the district.
