Funding Teachers in Zimbabwe Rural Schools

Here at Wilderness Zimbabwe we fully understand the weight of truth in this expression. Without the passion of those teachers who work diligently to not only educate our communities’ children, but to instil in them a desire to learn and an appreciation of the world around them, we would be failing our youth and wasting away the potential of their generation.

 

It is thanks to the generous donations from kind-hearted donors around the world, that Wilderness is able to incentivise up to 34 teachers throughout Zimbabwe, an act that would otherwise leave these hardworking individuals in a dire situation. Suzanne Wright, of the El-Hefni Foundation, has been one of these generous donors over the last number of years, and we are truly so grateful for her continued support.

 

The national government in Zimbabwe is only able to provide rural government schools with a certain number of teachers. As this is often too few to adequately cater for student numbers, Wilderness is able to assist additional teachers through the incentive programme.

 

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown and closing of schools comes as an added challenge in Zimbabwe, as teacher retention is a significant concern already. In an effort to retain teachers for a time when schools reopen, we are continuing to ensure that teachers receive their full incentive packages thanks to Suzanne Wright’s generous donation. These funds ensure that teachers can still provide for their families, as COVID-19 is having a devastating effect on livelihoods around the country, with many people having lost their main sources of income, or their jobs, which in turn has a further ripple-effect on the economy.

 

All hope is not lost though, and from a few teachers we have received the following positive feedback about how the incentive programme has impacted their lives.