The Sunday News
Vincent Gono, Features Editor
ON school days, the metal clinks at midday and a sea of learners in sky-blue blouses and matching dark blue skirts for girls and grey shorts and shirts for boys, a uniform for a school in Bubi district excitedly shuffle their little feet as they haphazardly move to the shed where they push and shove each other as they tussle for the front positions.
Some have lunchboxes while others are holding plastic plates and soon the unison humming noise ebbs as the queues become defined. There is an evident aura of joy that is defined by mouth tearing smiles that could be read from their faces telling the story of a time many have been waiting for.
Most of them would have left home without eating anything as parents are hard pressed to provide food and the little basics that their children need at school. This has led to a significant number of drop outs making education no more a right than a privilege that a few can afford.
The catastrophic effects of dropping out of school weigh heavy on the socio-economic being of the country as lack of food forces the girls to marry early while child labour is the route for many small boys.
“In previous years when the rains were good, we would not rely on school feeding programmes. We would make sure our children are fed but for the past two seasons it has been a different story owing to climate change. We are buying mealie-meal in town and the costs are just prohibitive and calls for strict budgeting,” said a parent Mrs Nobuhle Dube of Majiji Ward 4 in Bubi district.
She expressed gratitude to the Government for the school’s feeding programme which she said was a big relief to the parents. But now that schools closed a little too early owing to the Covid-19 global pandemic, the parents are faced with the burden of feeding their children and they tell tales of difficulty.
“We were used to children getting food at school. Now they have closed, we can’t really feed them and we are struggling and we are not sure when schools are going to open. The communities are not benefiting from Government feeding programmes and our plea is that we get something to supplement whatever we source. Mealie-meal in town costs an arm and a leg and we are really suffering,” said Ms Sukoluhle Moyo.
Bubi district Chief Executive Officer Mr Partson Mlilo confirmed that the drought situation in the district was getting worse and more learners were likely to drop out of school.
“There is nothing in the entire district. There is hunger and people are buying mealie-meal but how many households are able to buy with the current wave of price hikes in shops. In some schools such as Jiba and Sishawe in Ward 17, Dabengwa and Nkosikazi in Ward 16, Esiphikeni, Majankila and Paddys Valley in Ward 14 I am told the children were starving as they last got food from Social Welfare late last year. Reports of children dropping out of school due to hunger are coming in and it’s sad. What is more worrying is that once they drop out of school, they do not stay at home but either get married or look for employment. We are therefore likely to see more cases of child marriages and child labour,” said Mr Mlilo.
He said although the Government was intervening through the Social Welfare Department in schools and in communities, the food was not enough. He urged the relevant departments to establish irrigation schemes on already existing dams while also constructing more where there was suitable need as part of the long term solution to the drought problem caused by climate change.
Mr Mlilo said communities have also been complaining of lack of relish, cooking oil and sugar which were not always provided by the Government.
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo concurred saying all the seven administrative districts of the province were hard pressed by drought but said the Government was aware and was moving with speed to alleviate people’s suffering through such programmes as the schools’ feeding programme and food for work in the communities.
“It’s true that there is drought. People are suffering in our communities. All the seven administrative districts of the province are in need of food. I do not have the numbers but nothing was harvested in the whole province, so the whole province needs food.
“We hope the Social Welfare Department continues with the work it is doing — they are giving out food to vulnerable members of the community while able-bodied are doing food for work. In schools they are giving supplementary feeding and we applaud the Government for that,” said Minister Moyo.
He urged parents to bridge the Government by buying cooking oil, sugar and relish saying they should not always wait for provisions of those from Government.
Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Co-Deputy Minister, Douglas Karoro told Sunday News that the food security situation in most parts of the country was far from being rosy.
He said the situation in Matabeleland North mirrors what was being experienced in most parts of the country.
He said the five southern provinces of the country were most affected adding that most communities have sent an SOS to Government and its partners for assistance prompting the Government to flight an international tender to import maize.
He added that food security was their priority as a ministry and were working to ensure that no one lacks.
“We are working hand in glove with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare that advises us where there is lack and they have been working in the communities and giving supplementary feeding in schools so that learning is not disrupted because of hunger,” he added.
He admitted that this year the rainfall was not as good as it was last season due to El Nino but added that the Government was putting in place strategies to mitigate the effects of drought as it was becoming apparent that climate change was real.
“We are working on measures to adapt to the potential effects of El Nino. Climate change is real and its effects need strategic planning so that in future its effects on agriculture are minimally felt. Irrigation has become the answer to crop production as rain-fed agriculture is no longer sustainable,” he said.
He said the El Nino phenomenon was usually associated with prolonged droughts or mid-season droughts and floods but in Zimbabwe past El Nino seasons have led to droughts that have resulted in crop failure, livestock and wildlife deaths.
“We are working on irrigation rehabilitation, development and expansion with the assistance of partners. We want to ensure that we develop 200 hectares of irrigation per every district although this intervention has been affected by shortage of funds. Government cannot go it alone, so we have engaged willing partners who are helping us with the requisite financial resources,” he said.
He emphasised the need for communities to be taught about water harvesting techniques.
Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Cde Lovemore Matuke said subject to availability of grain, the Government was going to ensure supplementary feeding in schools was going to continue so that no learner drops out of school.
“We are cognisant of the impacts of food shortages in the communities and we doing everything for children to get something at school so that learning is not affected. We are engaging our partners so that there is no duplication. We are also working hand in glove with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure food is not abused,” said Cde Matuke.
He called on parents not to be too dependent on the Government saying they should at least come together and provide sugar, cooking oil and relish where there was lack.
