“Not
all
superheroes
wear
capes;
some
carry
school
bags,
walk
10km
to
class
and
still
dream
of
changing
the
world,”
says
Jacqueline
Nyakunu,
founder
of
a
small
rural
education
nonprofit
in
Zimbabwe.
Financial
support
through
scholarships,
government
aid
programs
like
the
Basic
Education
Assistance
Module
(BEAM),
NGO
initiatives
and
community-based
efforts
is
vital
in
improving
the
education
system
for
vulnerable
children
in
Zimbabwe.
These
interventions
transform
their
futures
and
empower
communities
through
increased
educational
opportunity.
The
Challenge
of
Accessing
Education
in
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s
education
system experiences
some
strenuous
challenges
from
systemic
underfunding,
rural
disparities
compared
to
urban
areas
and
holistic
inequalities.
The
government
allocated
14%
of
the
national
budget
to
education
in
2023,
an
improvement
from
13.4%
the
previous
year.
However,
it
still
falls
short
of
the
“20%
threshold
on
budgets
when
it
comes
to
the
education
sector”
recommended
by
the
Dakar
Framework.
This
constant
underfunding
has
led
to
poor
infrastructure
in
rural
areas,
where
some
schools
operate
in
makeshift
garages
or
abandoned
buildings.
This
leaves
students
in
remote
regions,
with
limited
resources
and
inadequate
infrastructure,
at
a
severe
disadvantage
compared
to
their
urban
counterparts.
In
2021,
an
estimated
30,000
students
failed
to
register
for
national
exams
due
to
financial
barriers.
High
dropout
rates
compound
the
problem.
UNICEF
reports
that
nearly
50%
of
children
are
out
of
school,
specifically
in
the
pre-primary
(68%)
and
adolescent
(47%)
age
groups.
Girls
face
additional
hurdles,
including
period
poverty,
which
affects
around
60%
of
rural
girls
and
contributes
to
a
school
attendance
rate
of
20%,
as
well
as
a
21.2%
child
marriage
rate
among
girls
aged
15
to
18
years
of
age.
Technological
inequality
further
limits
learning
opportunities,
with
most
rural
schools
lacking
electricity,
internet
access
and
digital
resources.
Most
of
these
schools
“do
not
have
the
necessary
equipment
like
computers
and
computer
labs
needed
for
ICT
studies
and
virtual
learning.”
Overall,
in
the
modern
world,
not
having
access
to
the
internet
or
technology
while
also
lacking
tangible
resources
makes
it
extremely
difficult
for
students
to
flourish.
With
72%
of
Zimbabwe’s
population
aged
below
18
living
in
rural
areas,
these
challenges
point
to
a
severe
education
crisis
that
disproportionately
affects
the
country’s
most
vulnerable
communities.
Government
and
Institutional
Support
Beginning
in
2009,
Zimbabwe
revitalized
its
BEAM
via
a
partnership
between
the
government
and
UNICEF
to
provide
tuition,
examination
fees
and
rally
support
to
needy
students.
The
initiative
targets
children
in
school
who
are
struggling
to
pay
the
expenses,
dropouts
due
to
financial
burdens,
those
who
never
enrolled
and
other
socially
marginalized
groups,
such
as
orphans
or
children
with
disabilities.
In
2009, BEAM
served
approximately 527,330
students
across
5,055
schools.
It
achieved
approximately
94%
of
its
initial
goal
of
560,000
beneficiaries,
with
a
gender
equity
of
50%
of
beneficiaries
for
girls.
Despite
this
early
impact,
funding
challenges
quickly
developed.
In
2011,
BEAM
received
$10
million
from
donors
for
primary
and
special
needs
schools
and
$13
million
from
the
government
for
secondary
schools.
This
fell
$7
million
short
of
the
$30
million
needed
to
meet
the
program’s
goals.
BEAM
complements
efforts
like
the
Education
Transition
Fund
(ETF).
The
ETF
is
designed
to
supply
teaching
and
learning
materials
and
broader
social
protection
objectives
coordinated
through
district
and
national
Child
Protection
Committees.
Community-Based
Initiatives
The
Borgen
Project
spoke
with
Nyakunu,
a
rising
senior
at
Davidson
College,
who
shared
her
personal
journey
and
the
inspiration
behind
her
nonprofit
work.
She
spent
her
early
years
in
rural
Bocha,
Zimbabwe,
where
she
and
her
brother
walked
close
to
15km
to
reach
Chapeyama
Primary
School,
often
crossing
a
river
along
the
way.
“Although
I
enjoyed
learning,
the
long
journey
and
lack
of
resources
made
school
physically
and
mentally
draining,”
she
recalled.
Her
circumstances
changed
dramatically
when
her
family
moved
to
an
urban
area
and
she
transferred
to
Sakubva
Primary
School.
With
access
to
textbooks,
a
library
and
transportation,
Nyakunu
began
to
thrive.
She
eventually
graduated
top
of
her
class
and
earned
a
fully
funded
place
at
Davidson
College
in
the
U.S.
During
the
interview,
Nyakunu
spoke
about
Start-Up
Rural
Gen
(SURG):
the
youth-led
nonprofit
she
founded
in
high
school.
What
began
as
a
capstone
project
has
become
an
organization
that
now
expands
educational
access
for
rural
students
in
Zimbabwe
and
Kenya.
SURG
focuses
on
addressing
both
financial
and
material
barriers
for
Zimbabwe’s
education
system
through
four
core
initiatives:
-
Scholarships:
Covering
school
fees
for
students
whose
families
are
unable
to
pay. -
Material
Support:
Providing
essentials
like
textbooks,
stationery,
school
uniforms
and
sanitary
wear. -
Mentorship
and
Career
Guidance:
Offering
workshops
and
personal
mentoring
to
help
students
prepare
for
higher
education. -
Community
Engagement
and
Partnerships:
Collaborating
with
schools,
volunteers
and
donors
for
sustained
impact.
Since
2021,
SURG
has
supported
more
than
1,000
rural
students.
Nyakunu
highlighted
the
example
of
Mt.
Matedzi
Secondary
School,
where
overcrowded
classrooms
and
limited
textbooks
make
learning
difficult.
In
one
case,
she
described
an
11-year-old
boy
from
Mukwada
who
now
receives
full
support
through
SURG
and
consistently
ranks
at
the
top
of
his
class.
What
began
with
a
$600
grant
has
grown
steadily,
now
receiving
funding
from
sources
like
Davidson
College,
AFS
Intercultural
Programs
and
even
Nyakunu’s
income!
Moving
Forward
Financial
support
through
government
programs
like
BEAM,
scholarships
or
philanthropic
efforts
like
SURG
is
more
than
just
assistance;
it
is
a
lifeline
changing
the
trajectory
of
thousands
of
children
in
Zimbabwe.
These
initiatives
are
closing
critical
access,
resources
and
opportunity
gaps,
especially
for
rural
and marginalized
communities.
However,
continued
investments
from
institutions,
local
governments,
donors
and
individuals
alike
are
necessary
and
urgent.
This
ongoing
commitment
will
ensure
education
is
not
a
privilege
for
the
few
but
a
fundamental
right
for
every
child
in
Zimbabwe.
–
LaRaymee
Lee
LaRaymee
is
based
in
Missouri
City,
TX,
USA
and
focuses
on
Global
Health
for
The
Borgen
Project.
Post
published
in:
Education