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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
World Vision Zimbabwe through its Limpopo Area Development programme has committed US$180 000 to build a new secondary school in the Tshabili area in Beitbridge East.
The school in Ward 2 of the Beitbridge Rural District Council area is expected to meet urgent needs for nearby secondary level education facing many people in the area.
Among other things, the unavailability of secondary schools in the remote parts of the district has seen many children dropping out at grade 7.
A few months ago, the same organisation handed over Malala secondary school it built in Ward 6 to the community.
Limpopo Area Development Manager (Matibe cluster), Mrs Pretty Dube said the initiative was part of their many community assistance projects to augment the Government’s efforts in providing quality education.
“We are funding the projects while the community is offering labour and other material support,” he said.
“Civil works on this project will be completed in the next 12 months and so far, materials for the teachers’ cottages have been delivered to site.
“The school will have four classroom blocks, two teachers’ cottages, 10 latrines, 1x 4 girl-friendly latrines, two fish ponds, and we will drill and mechanise a solar-powered borehole”.
Mrs Dube said World Vision had since ordered the material for the four classroom blocks and the material was to be delivered soon.
The NGO is also rolling other projects to repair and drill new boreholes in 32 schools in Beitbridge.
The construction of the school comes following an appeal by Beitbridge paramount Chief David Tshitaudze who urged development partners to increase funding on education.
He said the few satellite schools which had been opened across the district were not enough to cater the ever-growing population.
Chief Tshitaudze said secondary education school had become less attractive, due to the long distances many pupils have to walk.
At the moment Beitbridge has just under 80 primary and 15 secondary schools.
The district needs at least 25 more primary schools and more than 15 new secondary schools.
Online Reporter