If the combined efforts by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), communities, government and the international community to improve education in Goromonzi West are anything to go by, then these might as well be adopted as policy, considering the state alone is struggling to fill the gap in providing adequate access to education across the country.
By Tapiwa Zivira
This week, as a result of the partnership between Nhaka Foundation — an NGO — and the Japan embassy, with support from villagers in Domboshawa and facilitation by government, Govera Primary School unveiled two newly built and three renovated classroom blocks to give a fresh look to a school that previously had dilapidated and storm-damaged structures serving as classrooms.
It was through its funding partners, the Japanese embassy, that Nhaka Foundation provided building materials while villagers used their labour and skill to rebuild and renovate the school.
Speaking at the function to officially open the new classrooms, Nhaka Foundation founder and executiver director Patrick Makokoro, represented by the organisation’s board chairperson, Gerald Tsoka said they always sought opportunities that ensured that children in primary schools in the country were provided with a conducive learning environment.
“Nhaka’s approach to early childhood development (ECD) recognises that interventions are cumulative and synergistic, that the maximum benefit in one age group is derived from experiences in earlier age groups, and that interventions in one generation bring benefits to successive generations,” he said in a speech at the event.
In addition to the intervention at Govera Primary School, Nhaka Foundation has also assisted in the building of ECD classroom blocks at Kachuta and Munyawiri primary schools.
The organisation also provides food for children in ECD as part of efforts to complement the Education ministry’s school feeding programme.
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The event was attended by government officials, local leaders and villagers who all expressed gratitude at the efforts to improve education in the area.
One of the locals, Leroy Murape, who is also building a school in Domboshawa, said he was going to add on to the efforts to improve the quality of education by donating books under the Aussie Books for Zim initiative, which he runs with co-founder, Alfred Chidembo who is based in Australia.
So far, the two have partnered to source books from Australia, and in April they donated 5 000 books to Mavhurazi Primary School in Mudzi.
