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Herald Reporter

Youth organisations in Harare are donating Covid-19 equipment to help schools reopen in a safe environment in line with measures prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Elevate Trust, The Rotaract Club of Borrowdale Brooke, Incorporate Zim and The Interact Society of St. Johns College have launched the Safer Schools Campaign to help schools reopen in a safe environment.

Schools that have benefited from the initiative include Hatcliff Primary 1 and 2 and Hatcliffe Secondary School, Selonga Cluster Schools in Gwanda and they are seeking more donations to sustain their project.

“Zimbabwe’s education sector has been immensely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (and we are committed) to serve the needs of scholars who have been marginalised by COVID-19,” reads part of their joint statement.

“This past week we had our handover ceremony at Hatcliffe 2 Primary School where we were handing over the proceeds from Phase 2 of our campaign to both Hatcliffe Primary 1 and 2 and Hatcliffe Secondary School.”

“We are appealing to all well-wishers who wish for a safer reopening of schools, to donate in cash or in kind, towards those schools that are not able to fend for themselves, especially in the rural areas. Your help, no matter how little, will be most appreciated,” they said.

To date, the campaign has received over 100 infrared thermometers, over 100 face masks, raw materials equivalent to 100 000 litres of disinfectant and over $5 300.

“The Safer Schools Campaign coalition is collaborating with educational institutions, community organisations and non-profits to help public and rural schools meet WHO needs, and open their doors to scholars who have lost a lot of learning time due to the pandemic.

“The focus is on low-income communities who do not have access to online learning. The safer schools campaign aims to ensure progress made on inequality isn’t affected by the effects of the pandemic.”

All school classes will reopen over the next six weeks in three phases, the examination classes — Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper Sixth — open on September 28 in phase 1 as was announced several weeks ago.

Four weeks later, on October 26, next year’s examination classes — Grade 6, Form 3 and or Form 5 — open in the second phase and a fortnight after that, on November 9, everyone else goes back to school — ECD A and B, Grades 1 to 5 and Forms 1 and 2.