From Vulnerability to Hope – The School That Changed Everything

The schoolyard is full of students on break. There is laughter, chatter, and play, whispers and giggles, shouts and games – just like any school, anywhere in the world. Under the shade of some bushes, children sit and eat fruit, escaping the harsh midday sun. The warm yellow school buildings stand in sharp contrast to the blue-tinged mountain peaks in the background, while brightly colored flowers wind through the garden beds. The outer walls are decorated with vivid illustrations reflecting the activities taking place inside the classrooms.

This is Kuhudzai Primary School, located in Dora ward 35, in the Mutare District in eastern Zimbabwe. Here, IM and Simukai Child Protection Programme have spent a decade supporting vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the education they deserve. IM’s financial support ended in 2023, and today, we are here to see the impact of their work and how the initiative continues under full local management.

School Dropouts and Child Labor

Poverty is severe in this part of Zimbabwe. Droughts, cyclones, the AIDS epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic, and soaring inflation are all pieces of the puzzle that explain the hardships people face here. Children are always the most vulnerable. Poverty leads to school dropouts when there is no money for fees or materials, and child labor becomes a necessary means to put food on the table. For girls, the consequences often include early marriages and pregnancies.

This is what IM set out to counteract when they partnered with Simukai in 2015.

“We started by covering school fees for the most impoverished children to keep them in school,” says Ebenezer Mutema from Simukai.

“Over time, we expanded our support to include school supplies.”

But it soon became clear that a broader approach was needed. The children needed food, their families required economic support, and attitudes among parents and decision-makers had to change. Awareness of the importance of education was low, and without a collective will, progress was difficult. IM and Simukai launched advocacy campaigns, raising awareness and mobilizing entire communities around the issue of education.

From 2018, income-generating projects were introduced in schools – initiatives that not only provided meals for students but also improved family incomes.

Income-Generating Projects Create a Ripple Effect

The chicken coop is bustling with life. Hundreds of chickens cluck and scramble over one another as a young student fills their feeding trays.

“These chickens are part of one of the school’s income-generating projects,” says Ebenezer Mutema. “There are over 500 chickens, and they generate funds for school fees, uniforms, materials, and sanitary products for girls. The school garden benefits from the manure, and students grow vegetables and maize for school meals.”

Students and their families care for the chickens, having received basic training in animal husbandry and sustainable farming – skills that benefit not only the school but the entire community. Additionally, families have been supported by Simukai to establish savings and loan groups, a collective financial system allowing members to take out low-interest loans for investments.

“We are planning to expand and add pigs to our livestock,” Mutema says. “We’re also considering planting rubber trees.”

Behind the school, a fruit orchard flourishes with mango, guava, and peach trees, providing the school with fruit for much of the year. A small sign bearing IM’s logo and the words “Without trees, no life” is a testament to IM’s contribution.

An Inclusive Learning Environment for All

“Kuhudzai Primary School now has 1,489 students aged 5 to 14, several of whom have physical or mental disabilities,” says Jijita Elliot, the school’s deputy principal.

“In the past, children with disabilities were nearly absent from schools here, but thanks to IM’s efforts, parents and educators now understand the importance of inclusion.”

The entire school environment has been adapted to accommodate students with disabilities. Ramps lead up to buildings, and accessible toilets are available. Teachers have been trained to support children with diverse needs, and Simukai has provided hearing aids for students with hearing impairments.

“We’ve also held special campaigns to combat the stigma surrounding disabilities,” Elliot explains. “Now, no one gets teased for being different.”

Stopping Child Marriages

Student involvement in school governance is evident. We meet Kelvin, 7, and Wimore, 13, members of the school’s Child Protection Committee. They discuss issues like child marriage, child labor, and the importance of education, bringing these conversations home to their families.

“We have actually stopped two child marriages,” Kelvin proudly shares. “Two girls, 15 and 16, were about to be married off, but we alerted Simukai, and the marriages were stopped.”

The school also has a Risk Management Committee, where students identify hazards on campus and take action. Nomthandazo, 11, explains:

“We meet twice a week after school to assess safety risks. We’ve learned what to do in emergencies – for example, if a gate falls on a child, we know how to get help and contact the hospital. We also identified a problem with one of the school buildings, and now it’s closed for repairs.”

Defying Restrictions to Keep Education Going

The teachers’ dedication to their students is unwavering. Jijita Elliot recalls the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021–22, when schools were forced to close, exacerbating the risk of child marriages for girls.

“Even though schools shut down, we refused to abandon the children,” Elliot says. “Our teachers used WhatsApp to send assignments to parents. For those without mobile access, we encouraged small study groups in villages. Some teachers even defied curfews to meet students in small groups and continue lessons.”

Despite these efforts, many students dropped out and did not return when schools reopened. Through targeted campaigns, Simukai and IM managed to bring back 100 students – 35 boys and 65 girls – to Kuhudzai Primary School.

Since 2023, Simukai has supported the school without IM’s funding, but IM’s legacy endures.

“IM has helped change the future for hundreds, if not thousands, of vulnerable children in the Dora district,” Elliot states. “You have helped us spread the vital message that education is a right for every child – and that they have the power to shape their own futures.”

As we step out of the school gates, the sounds of children laughing and playing still fill the air. Over the past decade, Kuhudzai Primary School has undergone an incredible transformation. What began as a project to support some of the most vulnerable children has grown into something far greater. Today, the entire community carries the work forward – with a firm belief in the power of education and every child’s right to a brighter future.