Check out our updated video on progress at Maori Primary School. With thanks to David Brazier for the images and Scott Cisco for putting together the video.
Maori Primary School has just finished painting their new sign. The school motto is Education, Character and Unity. Nyasha Kharari, ZimKids project manager in Zimbabwe, also reported that the new bush pump was successfully installed on the drilled well last week
Fran Fearnley, one of ZimKids board members visited Maori several times on her recent visit to Zimbabwe. These comments are from her report to fellow board members.
“The new School Development Committee is pursuing registration for the school and has been successful at the regional level. It is now with the head office of the Ministry of Education in Harare. An interim School Head has already been appointed and a final appointment will be made once registration is complete. There has been great progress on the site in the past few months. All of the buildings have been painted. The teachers’ house and their toilet facilities are now complete.”
The classrooms have been transformed into vibrant learning environments. The donation of school furniture by Stuart and Victoria Lazier, has made a huge difference to the way teachers and students are able to use the space. Thomas Kavhai, a Head of Nyachuru Secondary School, one of the schools Maori students attend for their secondary education, noted that this year’s intake from Maori showed that students had good marks and were much more prepared for secondary school compared with previous years.
The community is very keen to clear land for a soccer pitch adjacent to the classrooms. In the meantime the students enjoy active play during break times. Informal soccer games, high jump and skipping are favourite recreational activities.
It was great to see the difference the new school has made to the students in the community. But the two completed classroom blocks are not accommodating all the students. The younger children are still being educated in the old school site. While they now have school furniture the conditions are still less than optimal. The School Development Committee is hoping that ZimKids will be able to raise funds for a third and final classroom block.
ZimKids supports Nyachuru Secondary School by buying agricultural inputs for a school lunch program every year. Zimbabwe is experiencing drought conditions in many regions this year and it was worrying to see how behind the crop is. This program ensures that all 508 students have a nutritional lunch every day of the school year. We hope for better news in a couple of months.
Bridgit and Tanaka are now in their ‘O’ level year at Nyachuru Secondary School. Both these students have been orphaned for a number of years and their caregivers do not have the funds to pay for their schooling. ZimKids assists with school and examination fees and school uniforms to ensure that they can complete their education. Bridgit and Tanaka are both hoping to continue their studies through to university.