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Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter

In a milestone achievement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in partnership with Government yesterday commissioned a US$200 000 modern classroom block at Joanna Fuyana Primary School in Nyamandlovu, Umguza, Matabeleland North province.

The classroom block is complete with whiteboards in accordance with modern day standards of education.

Joanna Fuyana Primary School is named after the late national heroine and wife of the late nationalist and Vice President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo who died in 2003.

The classroom block, which is solar-powered also houses an administration wing complete with a staff room and the headmaster’s office.

The green energy is connected to a nearby borehole that fills up two water tanks, one that is near the classroom block to service the school and the other about 100 metres away for the surrounding community of Ward 19.

This brings to three the classroom blocks that the school has with one being built by the Umguza Rural District Council.

Government has made significant strides in providing education in resettlement areas which were previously dominated by unsuitable satellite schools.

Following the fastrack land reform programme in 2002, there was a need for social services such as schools and clinics as beneficiaries of the programme took ownership of the new areas.

These were however initially not readily available, which resulted in pupils using makeshift classrooms such as farmhouses of previous owners, dip tanks, and stables.

But Government’s commitment to improving social amenities has seen schools and clinics being constructed.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo toured and commissioned the classroom block alongside Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Bulawayo Stake president Mr Mzingaye Ndlovu, Ward 19 Councillor Gertrude Gumbo and Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director, Mr Jabulani Mpofu.

The commissioning was also attended by village heads from the surrounding area, members of the Joint Operation Command, Government officials, parents and pupils who attend Joanna Fuyana Primary School, teachers and the community.

In his address after the tour and commissioning of the classroom block, Minister Moyo said children in Umguza District, which is a resettlement area, were learning in poor conditions in the past.

“We would like to thank President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic because Matabeleland North was known to be lagging behind in terms of education. Children would learn under trees, at dairy stables, and at homesteads where the former white farmers lived.

“However, with the coming in of the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa, there was a programme of Devolution Funds which are being used to cover the gap in schools so that children don’t travel far to attend school,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the philosophy that, “Zimbabwe is open for business”, was bearing fruit through such partnerships.

“It is evident that the policy of re-engagement by President Mnangagwa and the Second Republic is bearing fruit. There are many projects that are happening through partnerships with churches and NGOs to help build schools and clinics.

“Through these partnerships, people’s lives have been changed and even with the provision of water, people no longer travel long distances. And it’s no longer manual boreholes, the Second Republic has installed solar-powered boreholes, an improvement from what was happening in the past,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the construction of the classroom block is in line with infrastructure development projects being rolled out by the Second Republic across the country, driving the success of Government’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the five-year economic blueprint spanning from 2021 to 2025.

Mr Ndlovu said the church follows the principles of the Bible.

“Our members are taught to be self-reliant, secondly, love your neighbour and take care of their welfare, then your area, and lastly your nation. We have 13 articles of faith, but number 12 is pertinent which says, we believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, and honouring and sustaining the law,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said the church approached the Government and community to see what could be done to uplift the lives of Zimbabweans.

Mr Ndlovu said the church supports Government programmes such as education and health.

Cllr Gumbo said it was their wish for Joanna Fuyana Primary School to offer boarding facilities to learners.

She said it was painful to see children learning in difficult conditions.

“As a mother, I felt pain seeing these children learning like they were. Some would walk from far away, five to 10kms just to learn. So, this development is welcome and we request that through partnerships like these, a boarding school is built for the children,” said Cllr Gumbo.

A villager, Ms Cigambyo Mwinde whose two children learn at the school said the classroom blocks have brought relief to the community.

“Before, the children would learn while sitting on the floor or on dilapidated chairs, but now they have a classroom block and also new furniture. Water is now easily accessible unlike in the past when we had problems in drawing it. The children now have water and so do we as the community,” said Ms Mwinde.

Shervwl Village 2 head Ms Sarah Ndlovu thanked the Government and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints saying a heavy burden had been lifted from the children and community members as their efforts had resulted in a conducive learning environment and readily available water.