Learners celebrate through singing songs about climate change

Climate change has had an alarming effect on the weather in many parts of the world, and Fort Rixon in south-central Zimbabwe is no exception. Initially founded as a British military post during the Ndebele uprisings, it is now an agricultural and ranching hub. However, over time the weather has changed and the area is currently receiving far less rainfall than in years gone past, with negative consequences for agricultural activities and cattle ranching.

But this has not gone unnoticed. Thanks to the Climate Change Club at Fort Rixon High School, there is light at the end of this dark tunnel. Led by the FutureLife-Now! peer educators, school initiatives have been introduced that address the effects of climate change. Much of this has begun with small changes in behaviour and the planting of trees.

Early this year, the club decided to host a tree planting ceremony in order to raise awareness. The idea was to reach out to strategic stakeholders and bring other neighbouring schools into their campaign.

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Last year, as schools in Zimbabwe prepared to close and everyone looked forward to the festive season, a group of learners at Fort Rixon were in for a surprise that would change their lives. Thirty large boxes were delivered to the school and inside each box were all the pieces necessary to assemble a brand new bicycle. 

The bicycles were an incentive from the FutureLife-Now! programme. The local FutureLife-Now! team helped assemble the bicycles which were handed over to the learners in the presence of their parents and School Development Committee members on 22 December 2021, three days before Christmas!

Fort Rixon is a secondary school located in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe. The school is surrounded by farming areas and a mine.  One of the biggest challenges the school faces is absenteeism, mainly caused by the long distances that learners must travel. Some learners walk as many as 15 kilometres to school in the morning and the same distance back home in the afternoon.

Yet another problem is that of the young men who have become illegal gold miners. They recruit young male learners to their way of life, and prey on innocent female learners while they walk those long distances to and from school.

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It was a brave young girl named Shannel Dhiriza who prompted learners at Murape Secondary School to start the “Roses of Hope-Murape” club. The purpose of the club is to fundraise for vulnerable learners at the school who need a helping hand.

....... It Takes a Village: FutureLife-Now! peer educators hand over groceries to Shannel and her mother

It is estimated that 8 800 children lose one or both parents, or their primary caregiver, every year in Zimbabwe1. This has led to many child- and youth-headed households, where young people are left to live alone and look after themselves. However, without an economically active adult, these children face overwhelming challenges.

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Dear Educators,

The government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) together with the Food and Afri-culture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFO), are writing to you to call on your students to take part in the World Food Day (WFD) Poster Contest; and urge them to support the global goal and end hunger and create a world where everyone has regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives. Since its launch in 2012, young people from more than 115 countries around the world participated in the contest and we want your students to join!

  Download.  to read more.

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Youth participation in community development is one of the most effective ways to promote young people’s active engagement in sustainable development. Murape Secondary School is showing that this is so, especially when it comes to climate change.

Although young people should be responsible for shaping their future as leaders of tomorrow, in many communities their participation is often limited to their labour contribution, and ignores the importance of their participation in decision-making, choices, and management.

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Mwembeshi Boarding Secondary school is a role model for all schools in Zambia in terms of its agricultural production unit.

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It is always inspiring to hear stories of learners taking matters into their own hands and making decisions that have a positive impact on their lives as well as those of their family and their community.

In the face of hunger and hopelessness brought on by COVID-19, one such learner, a 15-year-old girl named Diana Zariro, made the decision to take charge of her future, and empower herself through her own actions.

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An important component of the FutureLife-Now! programme is the testing of a package of school-based HIV/SRHR services and support in secondary schools. The medical service fair, facilitated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in partnership with FutureLife-Now! and its local partner, the United Methodist Church, made a significant contribution towards this support package.

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CSTL in Zimbabwe has enabled scaling-up and systematising support for children and responding to a broad range of barriers. In 2017, over 90 workshops and training sessions on CSTL priority areas were conducted by MoPSE in collaboration with various partners.

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“But without darkness, we would never know the warmth of light. Actually, I see light at the end of the tunnel.” These are the words of Wadzanai High School teacher, Rati Kanye, referring to the installation of solar power at the administration block of her school.

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