adminMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE Gwanda Community Share Ownership Trust has invited tenders for the construction and equipping of the Advanced Level science laboratories at five schools in the Gwanda District as the empowerment initiative continues to enhance development in the area.Trust administrator Coster Nkala yesterday said advertisements inviting tenders have already been made.
He said: “We have advertised tenders for the construction of “A” Level science laboratories in five schools. We have also advertised for the fitting of those laboratories because we want to equip them.
“We are expecting a big response because we have already started receiving people who want to buy tender documents. We intend to award the tenders in the middle of this month.”
The district has five chiefs and each chief would have one school in his/her area benefiting under this upgrading programme. Benefiting schools were identified in liaison with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and these are Mzimuni High under Chief Masuku, Gungwe under Chief Mathe, Ntepe under Chief Nhlamba, Selonga under Chief Marupi and Sibona under Chief Mathema.
“Our wish is to have these laboratories complete by April this year and have them commissioned before the end of financial year in June,” said Nkala.
Most schools in Gwanda are facing challenges when it comes to the learning of science subjects due to either the absence of laboratories or shortage of equipment in the laboratories.
The challenges have resulted in most schools performing dismally in science subjects while others do not have “A” Level science classes.
The trust budgeted $1,5million to undertake its 2013/14 projects with more focus being on improving the state of the schools in the district. Nkala said some schools would be spruced up through the rehabilitation of classroom blocks and sourcing of furniture.
“We are also targeting to construct classroom blocks with two classrooms each in other five schools. We realised that some schools have a shortage of classrooms while others had the classroom blocks that needed attention due to age or poor quality building material which was used,” he said.
Of the budgeted $1,5 million, each chief was allocated $300,000 with $50,000 meant for supporting women and youth projects in the form of loans.
“We have done awareness meetings in all the areas and those interested have submitted their applications. We will soon have a meeting to identify projects that we will recommend to the bank for further assessment and thereafter award loans,” Nkala said.
He said CBZ would administer the loans. For the 2012/13 projects the trust constructed a new clinic in Silikwe, refurbished Mapate and Sitezi clinics while Sukwi and Guyu-Chelesa Irrigation Schemes were also rehabilitated.
Three of the five projects were commissioned except for Mapate and Sitezi Clinics, which are expected to be commissioned by the end of this month.
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