Story by Tafara Chikumira
THE Second Republic’s Integrated Expansion Outreach Program (IESOP) continues to bear fruit with Mkoba Teachers’ College and Masvingo Polytechnic College joining hands to construct a boarding high school in Chiwundura constituency in the Midlands province.
The construction of Gangarabwe High School, which has some boarding facilities is being spearheaded by Mkoba Teachers’ College as part of its IESOP projects, with Masvingo Polytechnic College coming on board to provide the necessary expertise to locals who are doing the bulk of the work at the facility.
The project has witnessed 25 locals benefiting from the implementation of the skills transfer model as per the dictates of the IESOP projects.
Mkoba Teachers College vice principal, Mr Martin Mukwazhe said, “We are taking industrialization to the rural communities where young people from this community have since been trained to become skilled people through this programme. The benefit of this whole project is that we leave the community with skilled people while the area has also been developed through various economic activities that come with the facility. The community will also benefit through getting quality education.”
Apart from getting the skills and jobs, the community is grateful to the Second Republic for bringing quality education to their doorsteps, once the facility is complete.
“I want to thank the Second Republic for coming up with the new curricula. We are so grateful that our President has got vision to bring a boarding school in a rural set-up like here in Chiwundura, this is the first of its kind in our constituency.
“Our children are going to learn more about what is happening in Education 5.0 as the school is coming with the necessary facilities for such quality education. Our President is moving, and walking the talk such that by 2030, no one and no place will be left behind,” said Chiwundura Constituency legislator, Honourable Slayman Kwidini.
“We are grateful to this development, our children used to walk long distances some 6 kilometres or 7 kilometres to St Patrick’s, to attain their education status. So when the President brought this initiative, we were happy,” said a Chiwundura community member.
“I am happy, our children used to walk long distances to school, but today. We are happy, it’s coming in our neighbourhood, and they are going to walk shorter. Even those who were not working, job opportunities were opened for our community development,” added another community member.
Government says the Second Republic will continue to come up with projects aimed at uplifting rural communities in line with the rural industrialization model.
“We applaud the Second Republic, ably led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for introducing the transformative Education 5.0 in schools, as the production of goods and services that address the needs of communities is now evident at our tertiary institutions. To this end, the Midlands province’s Education 5.0 Gangarabwe High School project resonates with the Second Republic’s innovation, industrialization and modernisation agenda, which has seen the recently held Presidential Innovation Awards ceremony in Harare presided over by President Mnangagwa,” said the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube.
The Gangarabwe High School, which is anticipated to be complete by mid-next year, will enrol 700 learners.
The project, which is being constructed to the tune of US$2 million is part of government’s priority projects as per the third 100-day cycle of projects of 2023.
