By TellZim Reporter
The Ward 13 community of Masvingo Rural District Council have shown that unity of purpose pays off after successfully establishing two Early Childhood Centres in the ward to lessen the distance travelled by their kids to school.
The first one is called Manoti ECD Centre which is approximately 4km from the nearest Machitenda Primary School, where three-to-five-year-olds used to endure double the distance on daily basis.
Local councilor Sarah Phinias Munemo commended the community for the unity which resulted in what they are now proud of.
The community completed the project within a few weeks after she and the local MP Eddison Zvobgo Junior donated cement and other building material.
“I salute the people from Manoti area, which has two villages with a combined total of 150 households. All ECD learners from those two villages were travelling 8km per day to and from school.
“The road is so bushy and vegetative, which is worsened by the deaths of cattle due to January disease, so the vegetation is so dense and not conducive for kids to walk in,” said Munemo.
She said there were plans through the MP to establish an infant-level school at the ECD centres to cater for young learners in the area.
“During the campaign period I visited the Centre which had one toilet servicing the business centre and the ECD centre as well as a community garden.
“The room was tiny with a very small compartment used as the teachers’ room. By then in March 2023 the enrolment was 25 and after the visit I notified the current MP who quickly donated 5 bags of cement and I added five more which was directed for the refurbishment of the toilet as well as constructing another one.
“The MP promised to work towards the development of the Centre and to apply to council for the establishment of an Infant level school to cater for the very young kids there,” said Munemo.
She said a worse situation was at Masononga which is 5 km away from Gwanha School and 4km from Chikarudzo and the ECD learners had to travel double the distances with their mothers who often escort them.
“We established the same ECD centre in Masononga and when it opened doors on May 7 2024 they had 15 learners but we expect the number to rise,” she said.
The centers are currently community centers which are run by the community with assistance from mother schools and operate from the fees paid by learners and donations from well-wishers.
