Agriculture & education

Overview

For the past two years ZBF's main project focus was the 'Helping Hands' seed pack project. This initiative provided seed inputs to over 30,000 small scale subsistence farmers in Zimbabwe. In September 2009 ZBF launched an emergency school fee appeal. In the past year ZBF has paid for more than 50 children to attend school across the country. In 2011 ZBF will utilise its experience in these fields to combine its work in agriculture and education, providing tailor made assistance to ten primary schools in Zimbabwe.

Project outline

ZBF is going to be working with ten rural primary schools in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. Primary schools were selected according to the following criteria:

  • A minimum of 50% of the children at the school unable to pay school fees
  • The presence of an adequate water source to facilitate an agricultural project
  • Agriculture is being taught in the schools
  • There is a committed leadership team in a strong and willing community

The ZBF project will comprise of two main components: the payment of school fees and the provision of agricultural inputs & training to ten primary schools in Zimbabwe.

School fees

In a country with a 95% unemployment rate the majority of parents in Zimbabwe are unable to pay for their children's school fees. This means that every day, despite a government directive, many children are turned away from school and denied a basic education. ZBF plans to address this issue by paying for children's school fees thereby enabling them to attend school. By working in ten schools this will provide access to education for thousands of children in Zimbabwe

For children of primary school age in Zimbabwe the cost of school fees is just $10 per term, or $30 for the year. The average primary school in Zimbabwe has around 500 students. To pay for every single student to attend school for one year it would cost $15,000 / £9,225

Agriculture & Training

The second part of the ZBF project will provide the schools themselves with agricultural inputs and training. Each school will receive a tailor made programme incorporating the following elements:

  • Training: Children, staff and members of the surrounding community will be selected and trained in best agricultural practice.
  • Support: Sufficient seed inputs & farming tools will be supplied to each school so that they can grow enough food to provide a meal for every child, every day.
  • Empowerment: Each school will grow a cash crop which can be sold to raise much needed capital for the school and ensure their self-sufficiency in the future.