Online ReporterLucia Mazhou
School children in Hwedza have many reasons to smile after a school was built close to their homes.
For many years, the children have been walking longer distances.
Moved by their plight, philanthropist Catherine Mutambirwa decided to start Sunrise Primary School, a small community initiative aimed at bringing education closer to the children.
With the support of Sheila Muzambe, founder of the Flame of Life Foundation and other partners, the school now has a new block.
Catherine said, the children have been traveling for more than 5 kilometers.
“The children would wake up at dawn to get to school on time and return home exhausted, often with empty stomachs and no energy to concentrate.
“With no funding and limited resources, I began the school with whatever I could gather.
“It wasn’t much, a makeshift classroom with a handful of children eager to learn but it was a start.
“My dream was simple, to give these children a chance at a better life through education,” said Catherine.
Sheila said, they decided to start small and pay fees for the most vulnerable pupils in the school out of their own pockets.
Her story also reached the ears of Sheila, who was quick to put her hand.
“We found a very inspiring story from Catherine and decided to be part of this cause.
“Her dedication to creating opportunities for these children touched our hearts.
“Our organisation is still quite small, born from a group of women who wanted to make a difference, but despite all that, we couldn’t ignore the struggles at Sunrise School.
“Since we are a small organisation, we decided to start small and pay fees for the most vulnerable pupils in the school out of our own pockets.
“This is a long-term plan, and once we get funding, we hope to fully support the school by building new school blocks, buying books, and paying fees for many more students,” Sheila said.
The reality at Sunrise School remains challenging.
Currently, the school only accommodates lower grades, and children moving to Grade 6 and above must still travel long distances to continue their education.
This is something Catherine and the Flame of Life Foundation hope to change.
“A point to note is that the school only has lower grades, and children going to Grade 6 upwards still have to travel a long distance.
“We need to make sure that these kids in the higher grades don’t have to go that far just to access education,” Sheila added.
For Catherine, the dream is to build proper school blocks, providing a safe and conducive environment for all grades.
“Everything we’ve done so far in supporting the school has been from our own pockets.
“We are calling on stakeholders, donors, and well-wishers to join us, and together we can make this dream a reality,” said Sheila.
Mathew Masinge