Love Zimbabwe

Working for the future

Since 2001 when Martha Musonza-Holman came to UK, we have been sponsoring children in Kotwa Secondary School and Goromonzi Secondary School. We have also worked with Parirewa and Chinamhora Secondary Schools to identify children that needed support with school fees.  Some children have approached us with their personal concerns and they have applied for sponsorship directly. After visiting these children, we realised why they needed our attention. Most of these children live with grandparents who are either disabled or too old to work. Most of these children's parents have left the country to make a better living, and in most cases, they never returned.

There is no "free" education in Zimbabwe. There is no legal requirement for a child to attend school. All parents desperately want their children to go to school because they know that it drastically changes their children's future. Education gives them the knowledge, skills, and abilities to compete for a livelihood, and the personal power to relate to an ever-changing world. Unfortunately, due to poverty, some parents are unable to pay the school fees. 

Twinning schools in the UK and Zimbabwe

In our January 2009 appeal for medical and lightweight school supplies, over 50kg of pencils, writing exercise books, pens, erasers and rulers were donated. These supplies were distributed to Arcturus Primary School, Parirewa Primary School, Chinamhora Secondary School and Parirewa Secondary School. These were found to be very helpful in supplementing the supplies that parents must provide and a few special items for teachers. We have officially registered two links via the British Council between two schools in Wales and two schools in Chinamhora. These links that we have established are helping to raise much of these needed educational supplies.

In our interview with the headmaster of Chinamhora Secondary School, where children attend from the adopted villages, he explained that children walk many kilometres to come to school even when they haven't paid their fees. He said they aren't too harsh on the children, but they do have to send them back home. Most of these children continue to return regularly, hoping to learn. The only other secondary school in the area is Makumbi Mission which is very expensive.

In our January 2010 interviews with village residents and the headmaster of Arcturus Primary School, we learnt that between 10-15 children in a primary school share one textbook and 75% of the children cannot pay the school fees. Schools are poorly resourced and the situation has worsened by the introduction of the US dollar as the country's currency. Many parents have no access to foreign currency, hence our influence and need to increase the creation of craft.  We would also want to encourage uniform manufacturing co-operatives where we will help with the start up fees for these projects. This will provide income for women in these villages as well as improving the face of rural lifestyle. The uniforms will be sold at a minimum affordable cost.

Letters from children wanting sponsorship

Here are examples of the letters we receive from children asking for help.