…rearing 300 Kalahari goats towards kids livelihoods
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI-In true ‘back to school’ style, about 600 pupils from wards 16, 17 and 21 who had dropped out of school had their hopes of getting an education rejuvenated following resource injection towards their welfare by Coalition Against Child Labour (CACLAZ).
The organization bailed out the learners through providing them with stationery, food and school fees which are derived from the livelihood projects where they have 300 Kalahari goats in a move to promote their anti-child labour drive.
During the Senate’s Thematic Committee on Human Rights indicated that they are in total rejection of children being used as labour, which might be happening in the sugarcane estates.
CACLAZ, founded in 2007 with a main thrust in responding to the growing problems of child labour in the country, is currently raising awareness to fight the practice in Chiredzi communities and mobilize them for greater action against the scourge through bringing back school dropouts to school and providing for their welfare through livelihood projects of Kalahari goats, which will cater for their school fees.
The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has also managed to cater for their health and nutrition through the provision of porridge and Maheu.
They have delivered 6 tons of both porridge and traditional drink maheu to three primary schools namely Uswaushava, Chipiwa and Kushinga where they have also delivered 7 200 exercise books, 2 400 pens, 3 024 pencils, 1 200 brown covers and 1 200 plastic covers.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Learner Welfare Officer Simon Chaminama welcomed the initiative and encouraged the project coordinators to prioritize the welfare of children first before anything.
“On whatever we are going to be doing, chairpersons and project coordinators, let’s prioritize children first, this is not for us to benefit from but the children, so let’s honour that in all our processes,” said Chaminama.
One of the school returnees, 13 year-old Brian Dhliwayo who is doing grade 6 at Chipiwa Primary School in Mkwasine thanked CACLAZ for bringing him back to school, which he had left due to incapacitation.
“I would like to thank you CACLAZ for bringing me back to school after a long time of being a drop-out. I had dropped out from school because of lack of resources, but with you providing them for me, I will continue with my studies happily,” said Dhliwayo.
A good number of learners drop out of school due to failure to afford the needed stationery and school fees due to economic challenges.
