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Primary school children from in and around Mhandamabwe Business Centre in Chivi North have been thrown an educational lifeline after Mashwede Holdings partnered with Chivi Rural District Council(RDC) to build a US$50 000 new school in the area that opened its doors yesterday.

The new school will have an inaugural group of nearly 60 learners in ECD A and B and will be initially serving as a satellite of Masunda North Primary School about 7km away.

Mashwede Holdings led by its founder Mr Alex Mashamhanda and Chivi RDC officials handed over the new school to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last weekend to enable it to open for the first term together with other schools countrywide.

Before the construction of the new school at Mhandamabwe, children in and around the business centre were having nightmares in accessing education as the other nearest schools besides Masunda North, namely Denga, Jenya, Maramba and Sukwe are an average of about 10km away.

According to Mr Petros Chigwengwe who will be doubling up as the Head of Masunda North primary and the new Mhandamabwe Primary School, the latter will start with a staff complement of 2 teachers.

Mr Chigwengwe, who hailed Mr Mashamhanda for his big heart and selflessness, challenged other sons and daughters from in and around Chivi to add on the two classrooms that have been built at Mhandamabwe primary.

”The cry for the community here is that if this new school could at least enrol pupils up to Grade 2 because children here have a challenge travelling long distances to the nearest schools to attend classes but people here are very happy because this is a huge stepping stone. We indeed want to express our profound gratitude to Mr Mashamhanda, he is surely a hero for the people of Chivi where he was born and bred,” he said.

”I am appealing to other sons and daughters from Chivi to take a leaf from Mr Mashamhanda who has shown that he will never forget his roots and continues to leave a legacy for the future generations.”

Mr Mashamhanda said his company was guided and bound by President Mnangagwa’s mantra that ”nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.”

”Ever since I was young I was always taught the importance of children listening to their elders and as Mashwede Holdings we listen to the wise counsel from our seniors, particularly words that come from our Head of State and Government President Mnangagwa has been repeatedly stressing that ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’.”

The Mashwede founder challenged Zimbabweans to desist from finger-pointing and embrace the task of building their own country saying no one would come and develop this country for its citizens.

“As Mashwede we have always been supporting education even when we were still M and H, we always believe that education is a key to unlocking any door and we will continue to support education in Zimbabwe standing guided by the encouragement from our national leadership led by President Mnangagwa.”

Chivi RDC chair Councillor Godfrey Mukungunugwa said the new schools would benefit pupils from four wards saying the area had been yearning for such as facility since independence.

“This new school will ease the plight of young learners from wards two, five, six and eight who were walking up to 10km to access the nearest school. We are happy that building this new school dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s wish that school children must not walk more than 5km to school, this is a major milestone,” said Councillor Mukungunugwa.

He said besides building two classes Mashwede and his council had also built toilets and other key materials needed for learners to start attending classes.

Mr Mashamhanda who was born and bred in Sese, Chivi Central has been involved in the building, expansion and electrification of several schools in his home district, via his compnay Mashwede, as part of ploughing back to the community that sired him.