For the past several years, thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa® we have been able to provide grant funding to our partner, the Shinga Development Trust in Mutare, Zimbabwe, to ensure that approximately 80 orphaned and destitute children are able to attend school annually.
The Education Crisis in Zimbabwe
“Currently in Zimbabwe, there are high school dropouts due to school fees poverty, teenage pregnancies, drug and substance abuse, and child marriage,´ states Shinga founder and director Margaret Makambira.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
“The grant funding is instrumental in helping Shinga continue to achieve its long-term goals of promoting access to formal educational opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children in Dora East and Dora West through the Fees Assistance Program,” she told us.
“Specifically, the grant will allow the organization to expand enrollment in the program, ensuring continued educational support for more orphans and vulnerable children in the community.”
Plans for the Coming Year
For the coming year, Margaret is seeking support for approximately:
- 52 elementary school students
- 30 secondary school students
This will also enable Shinga to strengthen its comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system to track the attendance, academic performance and overall well-being of the supported children.
Holistic Support for Children
“Beyond just financial assistance, the grant would also help the organization enhance its holistic support services, including access to counselling, career guidance and skills development opportunities,” she said.
“This multi-faceted approach would empower the children to thrive academically and personally, aligning with the organization’s mission to facilitate the needs and rights of orphans and vulnerable children.”
Impact in 2025
In 2025, the school fees assistance program ensured that 82 children, including 39 girls and 43 boys, could attend Dora High School, and the Mhandambiri, Mutukwa, St Elizabeth, Bvirindi, and Kuhudzai primary schools in the Mutare Rural District.
Recognizing Academic Success
Shinga social worker Rumbidzai Chadamoyo told us that last year 10 of the children receiving school fees assistance from Bread and Water for Africa® through Shinga “were awarded prizes for their outstanding performance at school.”
Takudzwa’s Story of Hope
Among them was 15-year-old Takudzwa who lost his father when he was just five years old.
“Life took a drastic change for the family as they had to relocate from the city to live in the rural areas,” reported Rumbidzai.
After about six months, Takudzwa’s mother left him under the care of his paternal grandparents when she remarried, and they took over the responsibility of raising the young boy.
The Struggles of Caregivers
Understanding the value of an education for their grandson, at the age of 6 they enrolled him into a nearby primary school.
“The grandparents worked tirelessly through various piece jobs to support the family,” Rumbidzai reported. “However, the limited financial resources often meant that Takudzwa’s school fees could not be paid consistently.
“This financial strain resulted in Takudzwa being frequently chased out of his classes for non-payment of fees.”
A Turning Point
But in 2019, Takudzwa’s life took a transformative turn when Shinga, with the grant funding it receives from Bread and Water for Africa® education programs, recruited him into their school fees assistance program.
“This was a significant relief for his grandparents, as his fees were now going to be paid on time, and the fear of being chased out of school was no longer a concern,” said Rumbidzai.
“He could now focus well on his studies without worrying that he would be sent back home anytime.”
A Child’s Voice of Gratitude
Takudzwa, now 15, told us, “The threat of being sent home for unpaid fees was always present in my mind, and it made me sad.”
The teen is now attending school on a daily basis as his school fees have already been paid for the rest of the school year.
“This gave him the ability to catch up on the work that was covered whilst he was at home after being chased away due to fees arrears,” said Rumbidzai.
Celebrating Success
And all his hard work is paying off for the hard-working, intelligent youth, as he was recently awarded a prize “for being outstanding in his class,” she reported.
“He shed some tears explaining that he never thought that he would be able to pass like this.”
Dreams for the Future
With his success, Takudzwa has vowed to work even harder as he hopes to become a doctor so that one day he would be able to care for his grandparents.
And to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa®, Takudzwa says, “Thank you for supporting my dream and giving me hope.”
The Broader Need
But he is among the fortunate few, and our goal is to be able to continue helping as many promising youth such as Takudzwa in the coming years and far into the future.
And as Margaret sadly notes, “Most of the children being referred to Lerato Children’s Home by the Department of Social Development have never attended school; hence, they need educational assistance.”
