Story by Silibaziso Dlodlo
TWO pupils from Bulawayo’s Tembiso Children’s Home have secured scholarships to John Tallach High School after successfully passing their Grade Seven examinations, marking a major educational milestone for the orphanage.
Blessing Mbedzi and Ishmael Banda, who have been under the care of the children’s home since infancy, earned places at the secondary school after attaining 13 and 15 units respectively in their examinations.
The scholarships, which will see the two begin secondary education in January, have been facilitated through the support of well-wishers, providing the pupils with an opportunity to continue their studies at one of the city’s leading schools.
Expressing excitement over the achievement, Blessing said the transition to secondary school had strengthened his determination to succeed academically and pursue his long-term ambition of becoming a pastor.
“I passed grade seven with 13 units; therefore, I am excited to have passed out of all students because I am now going to learn in a better school, and when I succeed at secondary school, I want to be a pastor,” Blessing said.
Ishmael said the scholarship had motivated him to work harder, adding that he hopes to become a doctor after completing his secondary education.
“I am glad that I passed with 15 units, and I thank the well-wishers who will be paying for my secondary school tuition at a beautiful school. When I pass the secondary level, I want to be a doctor,” Ishmael said.
Tembiso Children’s Home superintendent, Mr Bhekimpilo Dube, said the pupils’ success reflected the institution’s commitment to promoting education among children under its care.
“At Tembiso, we encourage pupils in academia; therefore, we have two pupils who did well in their grade 7 exams, and one of them is Blessing Mbedzi with 13 units and Ishmael Banda with 15 units. We then got them places for secondary education in one of the best schools, John Tallach, whose higher life volunteered to help us with their tuition, and we encourage others as well to take their school work seriously,” Mr Dube said.
He said the achievement would serve as encouragement to other learners at the home to take their studies seriously and strive for academic excellence.
In addition to academic support, the children’s home is equipping pupils with practical life skills, including poultry production and gardening, to prepare them for self-reliance beyond the classroom.
