Story by Tichaona Kurewa
THE International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has donated more than 300 bicycles and an assortment of textbooks to 21 schools in three districts bordering Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North Province.
The donation, handed over at Main Camp Primary School this Thursday under the auspices of the Riding for Conservation and Textbook Initiatives, strengthens the link between access to education and sustainable human-wildlife coexistence in the Hwange-Matetsi landscape communities.
The benefiting districts are Hwange, Lupane and Tsholotsho.
“We used to travel long distances every day to and from school. That gave us little time to focus on our studies. But with the bicycles, we can dedicate more time to schoolwork,” a pupil said.
“Life was not easy, travelling long distances. The furniture is a real game-changer for us,” another pupil said.
“I would like to thank the IFAW for being pillars of support and catalysts for change. The equipment will help us go a long way in our learning and improving our pass rate,” a learner said.
“We will certainly improve in terms of attendance and dedication to schoolwork. We thank the IFAW for this support,” another learner said.
School authorities, Zimparks and IFAW echoed the learners’ sentiments, noting that the donation will have an immediate and far-reaching impact.
“The donation helps in improving equity in delivery and, in turn, improves the quality of education. The bicycles and textbooks do not operate in silos, but both help improve the quality of learning and educational outcomes,” Provincial Education Director, Matabeleland North, Mr Jabulani Mpofu said.
“The donation will complement the ministry’s efforts in improving access and a quality education, leaving no child behind,” Director General-Zimparks, Professor Edson Gandiwa said.
“By providing bicycles to learners who travel long distances through wildlife-prone areas, the initiative improves school attendance while reducing exposure to human–elephant conflict. Complementing that, the distribution of updated curriculum textbooks improves the student-to-book ratio, enhancing learning outcomes and supporting curriculum delivery,” Country Director-IFAW, Ms Alleta Nyahuye said.
The government also highlighted the broader impact of such partnerships.
“The future of conservation depends heavily on informed, empowered, and environmentally conscious communities. By supporting children in communities living alongside wildlife, we are nurturing a generation that understands the importance of coexistence and environmental stewardship. Through programmes such as Riding for Conservation, young people begin to appreciate that wildlife is not merely a source of conflict, but also a national asset that can contribute to sustainable livelihoods, tourism, environmental stability, and national development,” Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Honourable Evelyn Ndlovu said.
The initiative worth over US$40 000 is being implemented through a partnership between International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZIMPARKS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and other stakeholders.
