Programme to ensure underprivileged children return to school

Nkosilathi Sibanda, Chronicle Correspondent
ABOUT 3 500 underprivileged children have received educational scholarships while 1 200 from four schools around rural Hwange District last week received tonnes of food to entice them to go back to school and alleviate hunger at household level.

The empowerment programme was rolled out by Government and a Norwegian funded organisation, Sabona Trust, to address education inequalities in Matabeleland North Province.

Food shortage has continually forced a number of children in the province to quit school.

Food shortage reached deprivation levels at Mabale, Dopota, Lupote and Siyanyanga primary schools more than any other place in the district.

Villagers in the semi-arid areas harvested next to nothing in the last summer cropping season, a situation that spelt hunger in most households. Children walk for up to 10km to school, usually on empty stomachs. This has prompted the Government to partner with non-governmental organisations such as Sabona Trust to implement schools feeding programmes.

Vice-President Kembo Mohadi is on record saying that school feeding schemes are crucial for development and are a vehicle that ensures household and national food security.

Sabona Trust, has from time to time assisted local schools and clinics in Mabale’s wards 16 and 17 with food amid the crippling effects of Covid-19 on economies worldwide.

Last week, truckloads of food from the organisation made their way from Bulawayo to the deepest part of the rural Hwange.

The organisation, in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, handed out food parcels to the four schools.

A total of 1 236 children each received a food hamper consisting of a 10kg bag of mealie-meal, 750ml of cooking oil, 1kg sugar beans, 1kg soya chunks, 1kg salt and 1kg washing soap.

The food distribution come as a follow-up by Sabona Trust on earlier distributions done in September this year when schools around the country were set to reopen following the lockdown.

In addition to assisting schools with meals, the organisation also made a follow-up on community interventions by helping 400 elderly and vulnerable families in Mabale with food hampers.

Besides looking into the welfare of schoolchildren and the community, the organisation’s projects co-ordinator Mr Munyaradzi Nyamande noted that there was a need to take care of the teachers and the nurses in the district since they were part of the community.

He said as part of efforts to encourage children and the communities to value education, Sabona Trust was constructing a dining hall at Dopota Primary School.

“We are working closely with schools and parents to find ways to keep the children in classes. Besides that, we are also procuring medical equipment and services for Lupote and Mabale clinics as well as other hospitals in Matabeleland North. 3 500 children have received educational scholarships,” he said.

Mr Nyamande said the scholarships cater for school fees and stationery.

“We have a scholarship that solely covers children within our area of operation. We pay fees and also render all the necessary support. This is after we realised that giving food was not enough,” said Mr Nyamande.

“This time of the year, as planting is at its peak, up until harvest time in March, deprivation is at its highest level in the villages of Dopota, Lupote, Siyanyanga and Mabale,” said Mr Nyamande.

He said, through their research and community involvement, they found out that some children prefer to work in the fields instead of returning to school.

“That is why we chose to keep check on them this festive season and give them cheer, that will be an encouragement for them to return to school,” he said.

Chief Nelukoba Dingani said he was happy that organisations like Sabona Trust were assisting schools and community members with food hampers at a time when most breadwinners were retrenched due to Covid19 effects on tourism.

“Most villagers were exposed to hunger when breadwinners lost their jobs after the hotels and lodges around Mabale and Hwange reduced their operations because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Chief Nelukoba.

Sabona Trust board secretary, Mrs Sailota Chagadama said the organisation was grateful to its funders and well-wishers in Norway, who despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic themselves, did not tire to assist communities in Hwange and other operational areas like Tsholotsho, Lupane and Bulawayo.

Councillor for Ward 17 in Mabale, Mr Joseph Bonda said schoolchildren had adapted to going for days without proper meals.

“The intervention by Sabona Trust has come at a time when schoolchildren who normally are fed by the organisation at school were no longer accessing the daily meals due to closure caused by Covid-19,” said Mr Bonda.

Mr Elder Nyoni, one of the villagers who accompanied his five children to the food distribution point, said the food donation brought cheer to the Christmas holidays.

“We are happy that our kids are being supported, I see this as a Christmas gift to them,” he said.