Private investor helps alleviate school shortage in Kariba urban

Admore Mbonda

A PRIVATE investor has constructed a primary school in Kariba, which is facing a deficit of schools as a result of a ballooning population.
The primary school, B and P Study Centre, is located in Garikayi suburb and is owned by Dr Bigboy Gawa.

Dr Gawa said private players need to complement the Government’s efforts to provide teaching-and-learning infrastructure and alleviate the shortage of schools.

“The reason behind establishing the school was that the population of Kariba is growing, therefore, there is need for us as private players to establish social institutions like this school so that the community has access to quality education,” said Dr Gawa.

“Gone are the days when we used to rely on donor funds we have to do things for ourselves just like President Mnangagwa’s mantra ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’.”

Kariba Deputy Mayor, Tendai Mapondera expressed excitement over the impending opening of the new school which will reduce the distance that pupils have to walk to the nearest schools at Nyamhunga and Nyanhewe.

“We are thrilled about the latest development which will lessen walking distances and likely see a reduction in cases of human-wildlife conflict involving children as they will be walking shorter distances to the new school,” he said.

A resident, Simbisai Madyavanhu echoed the same sentiments, underscoring the dangers learners face daily in the town, which is teeming with wildlife.

B and P Study Centre will start enrolling this week as schools open for the third term. Upon completion, the state-of-art school will offer boarding facilities, but for now, five Early Childhood Development (ECD) classrooms are complete.

The construction of the school is being done in phases and should be complete by 2025. Kariba urban has five formal primary schools and two secondary against an estimated population of 32 000 learners.