JUST IN: Vulnerable children get support

Fungai Lupande

Mashonaland Central Bureau

Five schools in Shamva District received a shot in the arm after they received equipment to use in their guidance and counselling sessions, which comprised television sets, DVD players, first aid and menstrual hygiene kits from the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe Chapter (FAWEZI).

Most of the beneficiaries are exposed to vices such as early and forced marriages, sexual abuse, early pregnancies, transactional sex, and have problems in sourcing their basic needs.

The schools are Madziwa Mine Primary and Secondary, Wadzani Primary and Secondary and Mingchang Primary School.

Receiving the equipment that included two 5 000 litre water tanks for Wadzani Primary and Secondary Schools, the provincial education director, Mrs Naomi Chikosha, thanked FAWEZI for responding to the educational needs in Shamva District.

“We are currently capturing online information on schools preparedness towards reopening. This equipment fills a huge gap that we have in preparing for reopening,” said Mrs Chikosha.

She urged the schools to ensure that the visuals shown on the televisions are strictly educational. The empowered adolescent girls for improved quality of life project is one of the projects being run by FAWEZI and its partners, Action Aid Zimbabwe, Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe and Aids Counselling Trust in Chitungwiza and Shamva Districts.

According to a 2015 report by the National Aids Council, Mashonaland Central Province had the highest number of child marriages attributed to harmful religious and cultural beliefs, artisanal mining, teen pregnancy and school dropouts due to lack of financial resources.

FAWEZI national coordination, Mrs Lydia Madyirapanze, said the water tanks will ease the challenges faced by learners

“Zimbabwe has reached gender parity and we now have equal numbers of the boy and girl child in schools. There is need to assist the girl child although we include boys in our programming,” she said.
FAWEZI also donated stationary, small mattresses, disinfectants, tip-tanks, bins and sanitary pads.