Online Reporter
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
IN a significant step towards improving the welfare and dignity of young girls, Holiday Inn Mutare, in collaboration with Smile Zimbabwe, donated sanitary wear to disadvantaged girls at Saungweme Enavant Primary School in Penhalonga.
The donation comes at a timely moment, as the school grapples with numerous challenges, including lack of basic teaching and learning materials, and continues to operate as a satellite school under Tsvingwe Primary School, more than two decades after its establishment in 2002.
The initiative is aimed at addressing one of the many silent barriers to education in rural – menstrual hygiene insecurity.
For many girls, lack of access to sanitary products results in frequent absenteeism and, in some cases, complete withdrawal from school. By providing sanitary wear, the institutions helped to bridge this gap and promote girls’ education.
Saungweme Enavant Primary School head, Ms Shalot Churume, described the donation as a lifeline for the learners, whose education is constantly threatened by the complex social and economic environment.
She said poverty and environmental challenges surrounding the school have a direct impact on their ability to stay in school.
“We are drawn from among the poorest communities. Today, we brought 21 girls with us, and this donation is truly a boost for them. Most of their parents and guardians simply cannot afford sanitary pads,” she said.
The school has an average enrolment of 177 learners, from Early Childhood Development up to Grade Seven.
However, they experience a high number of dropouts, largely due to their location, being caught between a peri-urban settlement like Penhalonga and rural farmlands around Old Mutare.
Many families in this area struggle to survive, often resorting to illegal artisanal mining to make ends meet.
“Parents often choose our school because it is more affordable than others, like Hartzell Central Primary or Tsvingwe Primary schools. However, due to poverty, we see patterns where enrolment rises one term and sharply drops the next. Girls, in particular, are vulnerable to teenage pregnancies and early child marriages, which are unfortunately common. Some parents even marry off their daughters to artisanal miners in exchange for money.”
Smile Zimbabwe programme officer, Ms Sheila Munjoma, said: “We are targeting school children, particularly the rural girl child, who is often left behind in matters of education and hygiene. We have distributed 100 sanitary pads to schools in need. We plan to expand this project to include care packages that, not only cover menstrual hygiene, but also general health and dignity needs for girls and women.”
She said care packages will be tailored to meet the unique needs of different women — pregnant, non-pregnant, or in vulnerable environments,
The donation was part of Holiday Inn Mutare’s annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative known as “Giving for Good”, held every September.
The initiatives, not only included the sanitary pad donation, but also the renovation of St Joseph’s Mission Hospital in Sakubva — one of Zimbabwe’s oldest mission hospitals, established in 1954.
Holiday Inn Mutare general manager, Mr Charlton Chimbira emphasised the importance of aligning business with community development.
“It is part of our robust CSR programme aimed at addressing real developmental challenges. By providing sanitary pads and refurbishing hospital wards, we are helping to improve the quality of life for many. We hope this small gesture makes a lasting difference in the lives of the children and the wider community. Our goal is to create a hospital environment that feels like home — clean, safe, and dignified. We believe healthcare facilities should promote healing, not just through medicine, but through atmosphere,” said Mr Chimbira.
