Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
World Vision Zimbabwe has increased its investment in education and health services in Beitbridge and committed US$180 000 for the construction of a new secondary school in the Tshabili area.
In addition, through its Limpopo Area Development project, the organisation is drilling and mechanising boreholes at the new school and three clinics.
These are Tshituripasi, Makombe and Dite where access to portable water has been a challenge.
Limpopo Area Development Manager (Matibe cluster), Mrs Pretty Dube said civil works were already underway at the new school in Ward Two of the Beitbridge Rural District Council (BBRDC).
She said the initiative was part of their many community assistance projects to augment Government’s efforts to provide quality education.
Tshabili Secondary school is expected to address the challenge of pupils walking long distances to school.
“We are funding the school project while the community is offering labour and other material support. Civil works for the construction of two classroom blocks and a teachers’ cottage are already underway.
“These should be completed in April and we will start working on two more classroom blocks to be completed by the end of June this year”, said Mrs Dube. The material for the construction works have been delivered onsite.
The school, she said, will have four classroom blocks, two teachers’ cottages, 10 squat latrines, 1x 4 squat girl-friendly latrine, two fish ponds and a mechanised solar-powered borehole.
Mrs Dube said they had since drilled boreholes at Dite, Makombe and Tshituripasi clinics, which will be solar powered.
“So far, we have completed mechanising a borehole for the Tshituripasi Community and we are working on the other at Dite clinic.
Designs for the Tshituripasi and Makombe piped water scheme have been done and trenching has been completed and we expect the contractor to be on site soon,” she said.
The organisation is also rolling other projects to repair and drill new boreholes at 32 schools in Beitbridge.
The construction of the secondary school comes following an appeal by Beitbridge paramount Chief David Tshitaudze who urged development players to increase funding on education.
He said the few satellite schools which had been opened across the district were not enough to cater for the ever-growing population.
Chief Tshitaudze said secondary school education had become less attractive due to the long distances between feeder primary and secondary schools.
He said the unavailability of secondary schools in the remote parts of the district has seen many children dropping out at Grade Seven.
A few months ago, the same organisation handed over Malala secondary school it built in Ward Six to the community.
Beitbridge district has 71 primary and 18 secondary schools.
The area needs at least 25 more primary schools and 15 secondary schools. @tupeyo
Online Reporter