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Bicycles and reduced chores help girls back into education in Zimbabwe

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BY REBECCA PAVELEY

A scheme that gave girls bicycles to get to school and encouraged parents to reduce the chores that their daughters did at home has improved the life chances of thousands of girls and young women in Zimbabwe, World Vision   says.

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The charity’s scheme, Improving Girls’ Access Through Transforming Education (IGATE), sought to reduce some of the many barriers to education  for girls.

Girls are often expected to do housework, and cannot easily get to school if they face long journeys. Parents’ expectations of early marriage also harm girls’ chances of getting an education.

The scheme worked with schools that were under-resourced, and with families, religious leaders, and traditional community leaders, to address some of the cultural barriers to girls’ education.

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Some communities ran “Back to School” campaigns to trace girls who were outside the education system who might be at risk of early marriage.

The scheme also gave bicycles to more than 9000 girls to help them travel to school, which also helped to address some of the safety concerns for girls who had a long journey.

In communities where the scheme was running, parents and caregivers reduced chores for girls by an average of 17 minutes a day to enable more time for study.

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The increased support for girls’ education was a particularly important outcome for pregnant girls: at the beginning of the project, a law that prohibited their going back to school.

Although this was changed in 2020, they still faced barriers, such as teachers reluctance about their return, or bullying by their peers.

Having more support from their communities was crucial to enabling pregnant girls to make the transition back to their schools when these reopened after the Covid  lockdown.

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Education facilitators were trained, and more than 1000 solar radios with pre-recorded lessons were given out, to encourage learning in the community during lockdown.

IGATE was a four-year scheme that finished last autumn, but it is now being rolled out by the Zimbabwean government.

The CEO of World Vision UK, Mark Sheard, said: “It’s so inspiring to see the success of IGATE, especially when the children themselves talk so enthusiastically about how their education has improved.

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“IGATE was a large-scale, multi-faceted initiative that will leave a lasting legacy for the children of Zimbabwe.

“One element of the success involved simple changes, like the gift of a bicycle, or families’ expecting girls to do less chores, and being more willing to buy or borrow learning materials for their child.

“This enabled girls to have the time to go to school, and to arrive to class safely.

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“Community learning circles were also key to helping girls who were not able to access learning during Covid-19, especially with basic literacy and numeracy skills.

“Community learning circles also helped children transition back into school after the Covid-19 lockdowns.” – Church Times 

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In the community

Painted Dog Conservation and Uncommon bring free coding school to Gwai Valley Primary

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), in partnership with technology-driven organisation Uncommon, is set to establish a free coding school at Gwai Valley Primary in Lupane District, marking a new chapter in community empowerment and education.

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Speaking during an interview with VicFallsLive, PDC operations director, David Kuvawoga said the initiative stems from the organisation’s long-term work with local schools through its children’s bush camps.

“In our quest to find solutions to the poaching crisis, and building on the work we’ve done with schools over the years, we identified Gwai Primary as a good location to start a coding school,” he explained. “We partnered with Uncommon, which already runs facilities in Harare and Victoria Falls, to bring this opportunity closer to rural communities.”

The school will be housed in container units equipped with computers and other necessary technology. According to PDC, the project will be led by youths from the Gwai community who underwent year-long training in Victoria Falls and are now prepared to teach children — and adults — the fundamentals of coding.

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“This is not just for schoolchildren,” the operations director said. “Anyone in the community with the passion to learn can join. What matters is the interest and commitment, not formal qualifications.”

Importantly, the programme will be free of charge. Both organisations confirmed that tuition, equipment, and running costs are fully covered through fundraising efforts.

“No one is going to pay a cent,” he said. “Just like our bush camps, which host over a thousand children every year without charge, this coding school is fully funded. All the community needs to do is embrace it.”

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PDC has previously supported communities through projects such as boreholes and gardens, but this marks its first major investment in technology. The director said the initiative has the potential to address unemployment, improve education, and give local youth world-class digital skills.

“Coding is a highly sought-after skill across the world,” he noted. “If young people here can learn it, they can secure jobs or even create employment for others. This is a brick in the foundation of uplifting Lupane, Hwange, and beyond.”

The coding school is expected to open in December at Gwai Valley Primary.

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Lupane police officer sentenced for tampering with mbanje evidence

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A 21-year-old constabulary officer in Lupane has been convicted after admitting he tampered with evidence in a drug possession case, effectively helping a suspect conceal part of the stash.

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The officer, Nqobile Mutale, was on duty at Lupane Terminus Base on the 18th of September when he arrested Thulani Sibanda, who had been implicated in unlawful possession of dagga/imbanje. Instead of handing over the full exhibit, Mutale struck a deal with Sibanda and hid part of the recovered drugs behind the police base.

Detectives later uncovered the hidden dagga, with Mutale leading them to the site during investigations.

Standing before the Lupane Magistrates’ Court, Mutale pleaded guilty to obstructing the course of justice. He was handed a 24-month sentence, with nine months suspended. The balance of 15 months was also suspended, provided he completes 525 hours of community service.

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Avoid nightime movement and stoning elephants, communities told

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Following a recent spate of human-wildlife conflict incidents, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo has urged communities to exercise caution when encountering wild animals.

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Farawo emphasized the importance of avoiding confrontations with elephants, particularly when they encroach into community areas. “We would like to urge members of the communities to avoid throwing stones at elephants,” he said. “This action agitates them, leading to attacks on people.”

In addition to avoiding confrontations, Farawo advised community members to minimize movement at night, as this is when wild animals are most active. “We would like to urge communities to avoid moving at night to minimize casualties,” he said.

Farawo’s comments come after a 79-year-old man from Hwange was killed by an elephant yesterday. The incident is still under investigation by rangers. This is the second fatal incident in the area, following the death of another man who was attacked by an elephant while on his way to work in Hwange town several weeks ago.

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