The current economic situation in Zimbabwe has seen the country being one of the poorest in the world with nearly 1 in every 2 inhabitants living under the poverty datum line. Equally, the majority of Zimbabwe's populace has seen their worst days as a result of the wallowing poverty they are living in but it is the children that have suffered the most. Of the 14,6 million Zimbabweans, 40,6 % are children who are between 0-14 years. 23% of children under the age of 18 years are out of school. Of these, 13% are victims of forced labor to eke out a living they so desperately need and for the sake of their struggling families. More than a quarter of young girls under the age of 18 years are forced into marriage so that they can be in a position to assist their poverty-stricken families. All this is done at the expense of their health and most importantly their right to education. Martin Luther King once alluded that, denying a child education is admittedly denying them their right to live while Nelson Mandela once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
With 23% of Zimbabwe's children out of school, the future has been robbed. Some children, even if they manage to register into schools, ultimately drop out because the tuition fees are too high, and, sadly, sending a child to school is the last option for a family that has no food on the table and is surviving on one meal per day.
Under the scorching heat of the sun, in the middle of the poverty-stricken streets of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city is a young girl aged 9. She is 9 and, on her back, she is carrying her little brother who is 4. She must be in school learning just like any other normal child would be doing but she is not in school. She is not in school not because she does not want to. She is not in school because she cannot afford it. The little girl is in the streets begging her way to find a meal for the night for her and the younger brother she is carrying on her back. In the eyes of Abdullah Dzinamarira Foundation, for certain in the young girl is a future lawyer or maybe a nurse if only she could be in school.
Deep in the sparsely populated and isolated areas of Uzumbamarambapfungwe, a rural area in Zimbabwe is a young boy aged 16. He cannot read, he cannot write or articulate things the way education makes one articulate. The young boy is a victim and a product of the environment he is in. He has been denied access to education. He is voiceless because even if he says anything, no one can hear him. In 2 years time, the young boy will be 18, with no education, he is not even so sure of his future- may be a life of crime and ultimately incarceration will be his fate. In the eyes of the Abdullah Dzinamarira Foundation, this young boy is a pilot to be, only if he is given the education he so deserves. It is the Vision and Mission of the Abdullah Dzinamarira Foundation to cover the gap that has been left and seen so many children not in school even in this era 2021.
The United Nations Sustainable Goal number 1 aims at ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. Goal number 4 further aims at ensuring inclusivity and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It is the thrust of our Foundation to ensure the realization of these goals in Zimbabwe.
Whilst, more efforts are being done by a variety of Organizations in this regard, there remains a gap as we still have a substantial proportion of children out of school, vulnerable to all sorts of abuse. The rights envisioned in the International Convention on Children's Rights are violated and there is a need for action for the sake of the world's future because whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.
Mother Teresa once said that I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. Abdullah Dzinamarira Foundation is that stone cast in the water to create many ripples. Yes, someday, every child will be in school and will live life to their fullest potential.
"With all of us working together, we can create a brighter future for our children"
Dr. T Dzinamarira
Abdullah Dzinamarira Foundation
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