adminThupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
World Vision Zimbabwe has partnered with Beitbridge East villagers in the Tshabili area to build a new secondary school.
The non-governmental organisation has invested US$180 000 for the construction of a new secondary school, while members of the community are providing labour, bricks and other building material in the joint effort.
In addition, through its Limpopo Area Development project, World Vision has drilled and mechanised boreholes at the new school and the three clinics at Tshituripasi, Makombe and Dite, where access to potable water had relatively been a challenge.
Tshabili Secondary School is located under Ward 2 of the Beitbridge Rural District Council. Its feeder primary schools include Tshabili, Lukange, Longombwe and Longowe.
Limpopo Area Development manager (Matibe cluster), Mrs Pretty Dube, said civil works had gathered momentum.
The initiative was part of their many community assistance projects to augment the Government’s efforts in providing quality education.
Tshabili Secondary School is expected to address challenges around the transitioning from primary to secondary level that was facing many people in the area.
The school will also have an orchard and fisheries project. The fingerlings and breeders have been released into the fishponds, and the carpenters are expected to complete the roofing soon.
It is envisaged that the school will have four classroom blocks, two teachers’ cottages, 10 squat latrines, 1×4 squat girl-friendly latrines, two fish ponds, and a mechanised solar-powered borehole.
The Herald understands that World Vision is also rolling out other programmes to repair and drill new boreholes at 32 schools in Beitbridge.
Tshabili School’s development committee chairman, Mr Petros Mbedzi, said construction of the new school was a relief for many parents in the area.
“We are grateful for the support we are getting from the Government and its partners,” said Mr Mbedzi.
“On our part as the community, we are providing labour and carrying related material to the site.
“We are hoping that the construction of a secondary school here will boost enrolment in the feeder primary schools. It is important that we address the challenges our children are having in accessing faraway schools”.
A villager from the same area, Ms Flora Munyai, said the availability of a secondary school in the area would address issues affecting the transition of learners from primary to secondary education levels.
She said villagers had agreed in principle to work hard towards completion of the school before year end.
Mr Samuel Mulaudzi from the Dite area said it was pleasing to note that the Government was making it easier for development agencies to invest in infrastructure development.
“We will continue working together with all development players to address service delivery deficiencies in our area,” he said.
Ms Maria Stamugani of the Madaulo area said they were happy that access to health and education facilities were improving in the area.
Construction of the school follows a recent appeal by senior Beitbridge Chief David Tshitaudze, who urged development agencies to increase funding for education.
He said the few satellite schools that have been opened across the district were not enough to cater to the growing population. Chief Tshitaudze said secondary education had become less attractive, due to the long distances between feeder primary schools and the larger secondary school they fed.
Among other things, the unavailability of secondary schools in the remote parts of the district has seen many children dropping out at Grade 7.
At the moment, Beitbridge district has 71 official primary and 18 secondary schools.
The area needs at least 25 more primary and over 15 new secondary schools.
Online Reporter