Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GOVERNMENT has officially commissioned sustainable and affordable boarding facilities at Sihlengeni High and Bayethe Secondary Schools in Umzingwane District, which have been established as part of an HIV response to protect adolescent girls.
The two boarding facilities have brought relief to the learners who were walking up to 17 kilometres from their homes to school.
The project was implemented by Government in partnership with development partners and seeks to ensure the girl child remains in school.
It is supported through the Global Fund under United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) with the National Aids Council and Plan International being the implementing partners in the Determined and Resilient Empowered Aids Free Mentored and Safe (DREAMS) Programme.
The intervention targets adolescent girls and young women aged between 15 and 24 with each boarding facility accommodating 32 girls. Pupils started staying at the facilities in January last year.
Speaking after commissioning the two facilities yesterday, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, also called for the development of more empowerment programmes for the boy child.
“Today we are celebrating two low-cost boarding facilities that were built and completed at Bayethe Secondary School and Sihlengeni High school, which will cater for accommodation needs of a number of adolescent girls,” she said.
“This service will go a long way in the reduction of risks associated with travelling long distances to and from school. We are all aware that, travelling long distances exposes our young girls to a number of social ills, such as dropping out of school, rape, bullying and sexual abuse.
“Furthermore, walking long distances to and from school results in fatigue that reduces concentration in the classroom.”
Dr Ndlovu said confining adolescent and young girls in schools has a protective benefit of reducing the risk of HIV infection through protection of sexual and reproductive health rights. Adolescent girls continue to bear a disproportionate burden of HIV.
She said the sustainable and affordable boarding facilities will positively contribute towards reducing the burden of HIV amongst young girls. Dr Ndlovu also said the boarding facility projects are a culmination of Government’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
“It’s good to have programmes that safeguard the future of the adolescent girls. Let’s also have programmes that seek to keep the boy child in school. Boys are dropping out of school to join illegal gold panning,” said the minister. “This boys can go on to corrupt the girls who are in school. Let’s have low-cost boarding facilities for boys as well.”
Dr Ndlovu applauded the National AIDS Council and partner organisations involved in the project and vowed Government commitment to support progressive partnerships that transform communities.
In a speech read on his behalf by monitoring and evaluation director Mr Amen Mpofu, National Aids Council chief executive officer, Mr Bernard Madzima said six other low cost boarding facilities have been established in Kwekwe, Chimanimani, and Umguza Districts under the same programme.
“Umzingwane has these facilities at Sihlengeni and Bayethe Secondary schools. The schools were selected after noting that some girls who live far away from the schools were staying at with distant relatives located close to community compounds,” he said.
“Additionally, the supported districts are characterized by a high presence of gold panners, long distance truckers and pirate taxi operators who have all been identified as potential perpetrators of abuse to adolescent girls and young women.”
Umzingwane legislator, Brigadier General (Retired) Levi Mayihlome said the constituency now has four sustainable and affordable boarding facilities. He implored development partners to assist more in improving learning conditions for children through construction of more schools, establishing computer and science laboratories, and providing furniture, among others.
Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director, Mrs Beatrice Manjere, commended the project saying this will boost the education sector in the province.
“As a ministry we have a task of ensuring that all children are at school whether boy or girl, disabled or not, very intelligent or not.
“We note as concern that there are some children who are walking long distances to school and this ends up being a hindrance for some learners to attend school. We would like to thank our partners for their assistance, which has enabled us to commission these facilities today,” said Mrs Manjere.
“Boarding facilities are usually beyond the reach of some but we commend this model, which has ensured that learners have access to affordable housing.” – @DubeMatutu.
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