by Tadiwa Madava
Caritas Zimbabwe in the Archdiocese of Harare has donated textbooks worth more than twenty thousand dollars to 14 primary and secondary schools as part of the Pathways project supporting the education of predisposed pupils.
The event took place at Chitsere Primary school in Mbare.
Caritas Harare has been supporting learners with stationery, textbooks, school fees subsidies, exam fees, study clubs and sanitary wear, under this USAID-PEPFAR funded project for four years. . Learners from the 14 government schools received various new curriculum textbooks from ECD to O level.
Speaking at a donation ceremony at in Mbare, Caritas Harare Development Coordinator, Roselinie Murota said the core of the schooled domain is ensuring that all orphans and vulnerable children in their database are supported with their education needs.
Ms Murota said supporting the children helps them to stay away from social evils and also bails them out of problems which are beyond their control.
“By keeping children in school, they spend less time in activities that place them at risk of HIV, provision of sanitary wear to adolescent girls also helped learners attend school regularly,” said Murota.
The Pathways project was implemented in Mbare, Hopley and Stoneridge since October 2020.
Pathways was a USAID-PEPFAR funded project managed by Catholic Relief Services and implemented by Caritas Zimbabwe-Archdiocese of Harare.
It recognises communities’ knowledge of local challenges and their ability to proffer solutions upholding the wellbeing of vulnerable children in their care.
Ms Murota added that the project supported ‘1 297 learners with stationery including textbooks and paid fees subsidies for 1 783 learners.
Almost 200 learners benefitted from exam fees and around 951 adolescent girls were provided with sanitary wear.
Beneficiaries were also engaged in community study clubs and a resource center for secondary learners was equipped and established at Chitsere Primary School.
The representative of the Provincial Education Director for Harare Metropolitan Province, Mr Nicholas Makora appreciated the efforts done by Caritas to ensure that beneficiaries “become healthy, safe, stable and schooled”
“All this has enabled less privileged children to remain in school, attend school regularly and progress to the next grade or form,” said Makora.
One of the beneficiaries, Panashe Chiunya said it is because of Caritas that he can stand with pride in front of people. Chiunya was supported with school and exam fees, sitting and scooping 11 ‘O’ level passes, he will be sitting for his Upper sixth final exams at the end of this year.
“Caritas gave me hope when I had given up with life, they took me in and journeyed with me through my academic journey and now I am still shining because of them,” said Chiunya.
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