Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MANY parents struggle to raise money to send their children to boarding or upmarket schools in urban areas.
There is a general belief that sending children to a boarding school or an upmarket school comes with a higher social status tag.
Children also sometimes mock each other about the schools they attend putting them under pressure to work harder.
Some parents end up in debt or sell properties to be able to pay fees.
Education is a right of every child and some learners in remote Binga have proved that excelling in education has nothing to do with the type of school.
Hard work, dedication and focus on the goal is key, said Miss Caaba Muzamba (20) who attained 13 points in Mathematics, Business Studies and Accounting subjects at Manjolo High School in Binga last year.
She has applied to different universities hoping to get a place to do Accounting.
Miss Muzamba attended Siansundu Primary and Secondary school in the same district where she would walk 20km to and from school and passed with eight Ordinary Level subjects before enrolling for A-level at Manjolo.
Manjolo High School’s pass rate was 100 percent last year after 53 candidates sat for A-level. The district pass rate for 2019 is 91,07 percent up from 83,73 percent the previous year
“My dream is to become an accountant. I have applied to two universities but haven’t gotten a response,” said Miss Muzamba.
She reckons rural children face more challenges compared to their urban counterparts.
“We are disadvantaged especially as girls in the rural areas. So one should consider his or her own family status and what they can afford. Those who go to good schools are from rich families and have access to smartphones and internet at home while we have to share textbooks. I remember seven of us sharing one textbook and having to allocate each other time to use it. All you need is focus on school work,” she said.
Her parents Mr Siapapa Muzamba and Ms Gladys Ngwenya are peasant farmers in Miimbo Village and raise fees through selling small livestock such as goats and chickens to be able to send their children to school.
Miss Muzamba’s elder brother recently started college in Bulawayo while her two younger siblings are in Grade Seven and Three.
Binga is a dry arid district where crop production is not viable.
The district is known for high rates of school drop-outs, teenage pregnancies and early child marriages which are attributed to poverty, distance to school and health facilities among others.
Miss Muzamba’s first name “Caaba” means ‘‘something is happening’’ in the local Tonga language, and indeed something is happening as she is determined to change her community to be a better society.
She is a beneficiary of Basilwizi Partnership for Social Accountability project where she has been capacitated as a trainer of trainers and peer educator together with other girls.
“I have been home helping my parents and siblings and started attending workshops organised by Basilwizi Trust.
This has helped me to understand adolescent girls and young women’s rights. I want to advise young girls not to rush into marriage or get pregnant. Let’s go to school, have a professional qualification and job, then you can get married.
I want to get married at 25 after I graduate as I hope to go to university soon. Don’t envy others because we come from different backgrounds. This is what has contributed to the high number of girls getting pregnant and rushing into marriage. There is always a price for life so let’s not pay the hard way,” she said.
Miss Muzamba is one of the many girls that have defied odds in Binga.
Her peer at Basilwizi Trust, Miss Merit Sikaviti (19) also passed eight subjects at Siansundu Secondary in 2017 but has been failing to go to college because her parents have no money.
She wants to be a teacher.
She is also a trainer of trainers and helping transform her community.
“I want to go to college but I haven’t applied because my parents have no money. I know they will sell livestock for my fees once I get a place.
“I have been assisting other children on SRH issues since I joined Basilwizi Trust in June. The problem in our community is that many young girls rush into marriage and my advice is for them not to rush to get married. We need to plan for our lives. We are exposed to many pressures as girls and young women hence we need to be vigilant and focused in life,” she said. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter