Life at Pakati Secondary school…

….is not yet quite back to normal, as this blog post explains. Read on!

Health official addressing learners regarding covid 19 and other personal health issues.

Head Teacher Mr Mugove Chifaka and Deputy Head Mrs Tinashe Pindura have sent me the following pictures and information, made easier by the recent restoration of both power supplies to the school (see recent posts https://friendsofpakati.com/2021/03/30/power-to-pakati-update/ and https://friendsofpakati.com/2021/04/01/electricity-fully-restored/ ). My thanks to them both for help in bringing their school to the attention of the world.

Belinda Machika, a prefect in Form 3, and other students washing hands before going to their class room.

The Zimbabwean Government have provided hand washing buckets (see pictures above and below), sufficient supplies of sanitiser, and of disinfectant. This allows staff and students to maintain good hand hygene, and thus feel more ssfe when at school.

Bezil Chapaguta, Form 4 learner, pteparing for his next lesson

This also from Head Teacher Mr Chifaka on Wednesday 31st March: “I and some teachers got our first jabs of vaccine today when the health officials came.”

l-to-r: Mrs Pindura, Mrs Munatswa, Mr Chifaka and Mr Chizena – September 2018

Deputy Head Mrs Pindura: “I can say we are all happy we managed to open schools, though the threat of Covid still frightens us.

We are definitely making use of the booklets you helped to provide for our exam clssses (see https://friendsofpakati.com/2020/07/11/joint-venture-back-story-and-responses/ for more information).

The Covid regulations haven’t relaxed yet in terms of sports in schools. We still await the Ministry’s position, but for now I don’t see us doing sports anytime soon. Once classes are done we send them home.”

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So, still some difficult tines ahead for the two Pakati schools, but there is definitely a sense of relief that they are back open. Schools like these across Zimbabwe face many challenges, yet the dedication of staff and students alike to education is praiseworrhy indeed. Friends of Pakati will continue to help these two schools as long as there are people and companies gwnerous enough to support our efforts. Please give what you can, either in cash or in kind – contact us if you can offer goods or practical help friendsofpakati@gmail.com and/or donate to http://Paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/friends-of-pakati

Author:

My name is Chris Walker, and between January 1989 and September 1991 I worked, through VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), at Pakati Secondary School in Murehwa South district in Zimbabwe. I was a Maths teacher for 2 years, the Acting Head for the last 8 months there. I have also taught in Botswana & the UK, had 4 years working for VSO, and have been a Civil Servant in Bradford since 2005.

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