ZINWA to the rescue

STUDENTS at Khalanyoni High School in Mangwe District had everything to cheer about, after Zimbabwe Nation Water Authority (ZINWA) donated a consignment of sanitary wear, a gesture aimed at uplifting the girl-child in this rural school.

The school lies on the border of Matabeleland South and Botswana, under Chief Hobodo. It has an enrolment of 443 students – 237 girls and 210 boys.

The gesture comes at an opportune time as villagers are battling the “January disease”. Students in rural areas usually suffer silently during their menstrual cycle, as some cannot afford sanitary wear.

However, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, ZINWA gave the school 1 000 sanitary pads. The initiative is part of ZINWA”s quest to help the girl child and resulting in donation of 10 000 sanitary pads across the county.

For Lindokuhle Mabuza, a student, the donation will ensure that all their needs are sufficiently catered for.

“I am happy that I will no-longer worry about my mens. I have seen a number of my colleagues losing confidence in class when they start to menstruate because they cannot afford pads. I am grateful that ZINWA took care of our daily welfare from water, now it is sanitary wear,” she said.

Matabeleland South ZINWA Provincial Head and catchment Manager, Engineer Albert Manyika, said that ZINWA was a pace setter in giving back to marginalised communities.

“This gesture is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility activities, which are deliberately tailored to ensure that the authority brings positive impacts to societies and communities we operate in. Our donation is driven by the 2022 survey in which 62 percent of young girls tend to miss school, every month due to financial problems, and students from the rural folk were the most affected,” said Eng Manyika.

He also challenged the girl child to aim higher and fight stereotype norms by using education as their weapon.

“It is our esteemed wish to see future engineers coming from this school, especially the girl child. We have twinned with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education with an eye to seeing a flower that will flourish and blossom in the near future. We anticipate that you will pass and help the fourth generation,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of Provincial Education Director, Matabeleland South Deputy Director for Secondary and Non-Formal Education, Mathomula Nare, stressed that the education sector needs stakeholder engagement to attain its goal.

“Children need this kind of support to attain their goal. This is relief stress to them, girls find themselves in solitude when they do not have pads during their period time. Their self-esteem will be low and this will affect their results.

“We are saluting ZIMWA for realising the importance of sanitary wear to the girl child. We are calling for other stakeholders to follow suit and ensure that the student fraternity is uplifted, especially in once marginalised areas,” Nare said.

ZINWA recently donated some consignment to Filabusi inmates.