Japan to assist in the expansion of the KG VI centre

Japan has today extended a grant to King George VI Centre in Bulawayo. The grant, worth one hundred and twenty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars ($123, 450), was signed at KG VI Centre in Bulawayo.

The Ambassador of Japan to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Mr Yonezo Fukuda and the Director of KG VI Centre, Ms Inez Hussey, formalised the grant at a signing ceremony marking the commencement of the "Project for Construction of a Classroom Block for Deaf Children at King George VI Centre".

The grant will be used for the construction and furnishing of a five-roomed classroom block at the centre for deaf pupils as well as the building of toilet facilities for physically disabled pupils. Over the years, the quality of education for deaf children has been severely compromised by the lack of classrooms for deaf children who have had to use makeshift classrooms. Demand for places is on the increase. This has resulted in a situation where the Centre is turning down lots of applications due to a lack of facilities. KG VI Centre caters for children throughout the country and has a current enrolment of 83 deaf pupils. Not only will the new classrooms boost enrolment of deaf children but it will also improve the quality of educational delivery. The purpose-built toilets for physically disabled students will meet the dire shortage of such facilities. Work is expected to be completed within a year.

H.E. Ambassador Fukuda made mention of the importance of human resource development in the socio-economic development of the country and urged other well-wishers to come contribute to the development of the Centre in these difficult times.