Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube/ Yoliswa Dube-Moyo, Chronicle Reporters
FORTY-TWO vulnerable children from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South have been awarded Presidential scholarships to pursue their secondary education.
The scholarship is one of the strategies by the Second Republic to leave no one or no place behind in pursuit of the National Development Strategy 1 towards the vision for an upper middle-income society by 2030.
In Matabeleland North, 35 pupils were selected; 23 pupils from Binga District, seven from Nkayi and five from Tsholotsho.
In Binga which has the highest number of scholarships recipients, the 23 learners were drawn from all the 17 wards. The 23 pupils were enrolled at Fatima High School in Lupane, Matabeleland North for Form One and Lower Sixth classes.
All the learners started school this week with all expenses including uniforms and stationery paid for by the scholarship that is spearheaded under the Zimbabwe Foundation for Education with Production (ZIMFEP), an organisation under the Zanu-PF Department of Education headed by Dr Joram Gumbo.
It was established before independence at refugee camps in Zambia and Mozambique to help youths that dropped out of school to join the liberation struggle and a decision has been made to revive it.
ZIMFEP director Mr Gideon Chiukira said the beneficiaries have already been enrolled and started lessons with all their school needs catered for.
“We were seconded to revive the programme and we are currently restocking livestock in some of the farms. In Binga one of them is a disabled girl who was walking 7km one way to school with an artificial leg and these were yesterday ferried to Fatima High with everything catered for by the President. This is what the President is doing for the communities,” he said.
Mr Chiukira said there are other learners that have benefitted elsewhere.
There are seven learners from Nkayi and five from the San community in Tsholotsho who were enrolled at George Silundika.
Mr Chiukira said Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials, with help from traditional leaders identified the beneficiaries.
“We are trying by all means to copy the model used by church run schools in identifying intelligent and vulnerable children with potential to succeed. For now, we are focusing on Form 1 and Lower Sixth and if need arises for primary school learners, there are schools where they can be sent,” he said.
In Matabeleland South, seven pupils from Bulilima were enrolled at Jason Ziyaphapha High School and there are other beneficiaries from other provinces.
Chief Masendu of Bulilima said the scholarship would go a long way in assisting vulnerable children in the district achieve their goals.
Online Reporter