Boy (8) forms foundation to sponsor pupils

A 8 year old boy, Tino Brian Javangwe, living in United Kingdom has reportedly launched an education foundation to sponsor rural pupils in Masvingo.

The foundation has reportedly sponsored 20 pupils to date.

Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) posted on Facebook that a 12-year-old started an  education foundation to help rural pupils in Masvingo.

"This could sound like the story of the Palestine girl, Malala Yousafzai, who started defending other children's educational rights at a tender age, but it is happening in Zimbabwe," wrote the ZimRights.

"A 8-year-old boy, Tino Brian Javangwe, on Monday, August 3, 2015, launched the Tino Brian Javangwe Foundation that sponsored 20 children from marginalized backgrounds with school fees and uniforms."

The organisation said the Foundation, was launched at a prize giving ceremony at Madjangove Primary School at Chivi Growth Point, in the southern province of Masvingo.

"Javangwe, sourced funds to help under-priviledged children in the rural area, while in the United Kingdom, where he lives with his parents," wrote ZimRights.

"Godfrey Nhovoro, the headmaster at Madyangove Primary School, said he had nothing, but praise for the minor."

"What Tino Javangwe did was exceptional and not many people can do what this child has done," said Nhovoro. "As a child, he thought of underprivileged pupils and donated 22 uniforms. He promised to pay their school fees.

"We really appreciated the great work he did. We also want to thank his parents who supported his idea."

The government has been struggling to fund basic education as required by the new Constitution, meaning that many children from underprivileged backgrounds are finding it hard to access education.

In May, in defiance of an outcry from parents and pupils at a march held by ZimRights in Harare, the government introduced examination fees for Grade 7 pupils pegged at US$3.00 and hiked O' level examination fees by US$ 2.00. This is despite the constitution stipulating in Section 75 (1) (a) that every Zimbabwe has 'a right to a basic State-funded education.'

Tino's parents hail from Chibhebhe village near the school, which has an enrolment of 1036 primary school pupils, and 200 Early Childhood Education (ECD) pupils.

Florence Hungwe, a schoolteacher, said the Foundation was a very good initiative, which must get all the necessary support so that it keeps on assisting children from underprivileged backgrounds in promotion of their human right to education.

"Our Prize Giving Day was very different, because we didn't expect that to happen especially from the young boy like him," said Hungwe.

"It was a day we enjoyed and we all appreciated the foundation. Some of the parents who had their children benefited from the foundation were very excited about the gifts their children received and they expressed their gratitude."

With a significant number of children from underprivileged backgrounds, Madyangove Primary School has recorded a pass rate of about 70 percent for the past three years, making it the best performing elementary school in Chivi district.