Kuyenda Collective to empower rural youths in 4 SADC countries

Rural youths in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania   are set to be empowered through Kuyenda Collective project 'Education Out Loud' which seeks to addressing the learning crisis trough systems strengthening.

'Education Out Loud' was launched at Jameson Hotel in Harare on Tuesday. The launch was attended in person and virtually via Zoom by stakeholders from Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, civic society, private sector, legislature, local authorities and students.
The programme is spearheaded by an international development organisation Global Integrity through Kuyenda Collective members such as Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWEMA) of Malawi, Centro de Aprendizagem e Capacitacao da Sociedade Civil (CESC)


of Mozambique, Policy Forum (Tanzania) and Teach For Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) and transnational partners Public Services Accountability Monitor (PSAM) and Stimulus Africa.

Teach For Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer Dr Farai Mirriam Jabangwe-Siwela emphasised the need to include young people in discussions to improve education in Zimbabwe.

"It's not a secret that sixty percent of our young people are in the rural areas. I believe strongly that if we have to correct anything from the rural areas we have to start from the beginning. Let's include them in the discussions."

"Here in Zimbabwe, we are going to have ninety young people. Thirty from Chiredzi, thirty from Mutoko and thirty from Binga. These are the young people we are going to take on this journey to find out exactly what we can do to improve our education," she added.

Renowned educationist and Teach For Zimbabwe board of trustee's member Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga said that education was everyone's business and reiterated TFZ's role in developing marginalized communities.

"The purpose of education is our business all of us. It is not just the government's business but all of us."

"TFZ believes that our system of education is fundamental in bringing out sustainable development in rural communities and in other marginalised regions and areas," he said.

Chiredzi North legislator Honourable Roy Bhila bemoaned the lack of implementation of programmes and hoped that Kuyenda Collective project was going to succeed.

"My major worry is we are good at talking but we are not good at implementation. I would be very happy to note that what we are talking about here and trying to achieve, let it be realistic. It should not be a talkshow."

"There are many organisations which have come with programmes to be done in our rural communities but these programmes have dismally failed. I don't want this to fail as well," he added.

Chiredzi East member of parliament Honourable Denford Masiya outlined challenges facing rural schools and lauded the role played by government to address network challenges in marginalised communities.

"Schools out there have challenges of infrastructure. They have no good buildings and no chairs which makes going to school unattractive for children. These organisations should also look at that."

"As government, we are trying to cover up those areas with network challenges so that rural learners can become part of this," he added.