MAUNDWA PRIMARY SCHOOL & NDIADZO PRIMARY SCHOOL, RUSITU VALLEY, ZIMBABWE
In Mid November David & I were able to able to go down into the steep Rusitu Valley on the eastern boarder of Zimbabwe and spend some time at Maundwa Primary , a rural school that we have had a good relationship with for many years. The school has been fully operational since March 2009, previously closed for a year due to the economic situation in 2008 which saw the teachers without pay from the government, unemployment and food shortages around the country.
As of October 2009, there are 523 children attending Maundwa Primary school grades 1 to 7. There are 16 qualified members of staff and 3 indoor classrooms. In mid November, the children had just finished writing exams and were going to do review for the remainder of the month. Classes finish the beginning of December for summer holidays and a new school year begins on Jan 7 /2010.
We were very pleased to be able to bring monies raised in Canada for both Maundwa Primary and Ndiadzo Primary, each school having about $600 to spend ( this still buys a lot in Zimbabwe, in comparison, a teacher would earn $150/month.) We met with the chair of the parent committee and the heads of each school to discuss their needs and any future plans, then we all went shopping! Ndiadzo school spent more of their budget on stationary supplies and books whereas Maundwa concentrated on building materials as their infrastructure is so basic.
In the next year, Maundwa school would like to try and build 2-3 new classrooms and block of 10 toilets for the children, presently, there is 2 for over 500 children. This time they were able to buy cement and roofing material, all the building bricks will be made by the parents on the land surrounding the school by mixing soil from ant hills and firing in hand made kilns. Other goals for the future include desks, benches, tables and window panes for the teacher’s on-site housing. The staff and students of Ndiadzo are grateful for continued support of books, stationary supplies and new blackboards.
On the last day of our visit the children, parents and staff of both schools gathered for a presentation of their purchases and to thank the good people of Canada for raising funds for their schools. We presented them with a letter from the Honorable Mr. David Coultart, MDC Minister of Education who sent his blessing to each school and to our continued fundraising venture. The Ndiadzo Primary choir sang beautifully and our mission felt very complete!
David & I look forward to helping the schools realize some of their goals in 2010 and hope we have brought them a little closer to you.
Our sincere thanks, Amy & David Wilding-Davies |
