-as girl child stares bleak future
By Cuthbert Mashoko
The deepening effects of the El-Nino induced drought cast a dark shadow on the education sector as schools open for the third term on 10 September. The ugly face of the El-Nino induced drought has made many communities food insecure.
Reports of learners coming to school on empty stomachs which started surfacing during the second term, are likely to worsen during the third term as the devastating effects of the El-Nino induced drought take its toll.
Hunger stricken children often lose concentration during lessons. High rates of absenteeism are prevalent with droughts as learners fail to endure the long distances to school especially in rural areas. This is bound to affect negatively the candidates’ pass rates given that National ZIMSEC examinations are just around the corner.
As of late, school going age children are becoming a common feature in the vending industry and in illegal mining activities as they support their parents’ daily hustles in an effort to bring food on the family tables.
Chances of the girl child dropping out of school due to the harsh effects of the El-Nino induced hardships are very high. Most families in the face of hardships sacrifice the education of the girl child for the boy child.
This is driven by the patriarchy society which gives the boy child an upper hand over the girl child. Regrettably, this mishap has influenced child marriages and child pregnancies as the girl child becomes vulnerable. It is this sad picture which tells the story and calls for practical solutions to salvage a possible catastrophe.
While the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has tabled a feeding program and assured at least a hot meal to learners, there is need to expedite the process to ensure that as schools open all children are going to be fed.
This will help to keep children in schools. It is against this background that officials in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and responsible stakeholders should work round the clock as they equip schools with the necessary feeding modalities to ensure that the opening of schools kick starts with the feeding program.
Schools on their own lack the capacity to roll out feeding programs given their dwindling resource base as most parents are failing to pay their children’s school fees hence the needy for a full cover from the Government if this program is to be a success.
Roping in the services of Non-Governmental Organisations can lessen the burden on the Government since some of them are already involved in feeding programs.
According to reports by the United Nations about 9.2 million Zimbabweans both in rural and urban areas are food insecure and are in dear needy of food relief. The El-Nino induced drought has affected the whole of Sub Saharian Africa.
This poses a threat to the development index of many Governments as they become overwhelmed by the high numbers of people in need of food assistance.
