Story by Tapiwa Machemedze
THE drive for universal access to education has received a major boost after the commissioning of classroom blocks at Sanya Primary School in Mashonaland Central province, where learners were using huts as classrooms.
This remarkable transformation was celebrated on Monday, marking a new chapter in the school’s history.
The local community was elated that learners who faced inadequate learning spaces and travelled long distances to go to other schools now have better facilities.
“We are excited about our new blocks. We used to have pole and dagga huts. We worked hard to build one block, then Delta came in and helped us build two blocks with two classrooms and now our school is up to standard,” a community member said.
“We are grateful to the government and its partner Delta for helping us to build new classrooms. This is a remarkable development for our village. Learners will benefit greatly from this development,” another added.
The infrastructure was developed with support from Delta as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, which emphasise improving rural education infrastructure.
“We have been running this programme for more than 25 years under our sustainability pillar of the schools’ assistance programme, which is education for all. As Delta, we believe that learners of tomorrow must be given a chance to reach their full potential. So, we have a focus on rural areas as many people focus on developing the urban area,” Delta Corporate Affairs General Manager, Patricia Murambinda said.
Sanya Primary School was not registered with government and is now initiating steps for registration, thereby enabling Grade Seven learners to sit for their examinations next year.
Government is striving to reduce walking distances for learners through its infrastructure development drive, with a target to construct 120 schools by the end of the year.
The school’s story is one of resilience and progress. It is a shining example of the transformative impact of investing in education.
