Schools in Zimbabwe have made a ground-breaking initiative to ensure that all children, especially those from low-income households, may get an education.
The schools have adopted a novel method of payment by accepting chicks, turkeys, and goats as tuition. This novel strategy tries to narrow the achievement gap between rich and poor by giving children from underprivileged homes opportunity.
The head of the school’s development committee, Percy Muzika, explained the decision’s justification by saying, “Most parents don’t have US dollars or local money to pay for fees.
In order to increase the school’s income, the committee decided to accept payment in the form of hens, turkeys, and goats. “These are significant assets that the school can convert into cash to cover the students’ fees,” he continued.
The local community has reportedly given the idea a lot of support, according to The Herald.
The livestock project at the school, which now has over 100 road runner chickens, is essential for making money. These hens are raised and sold locally, with the money raised going to support the school’s financial needs.
The Spotlight effort, a program that empowers neighborhood communities via livestock production to enhance livelihoods and nutrition, served as the model for this effort.
Guruve’s school may have invented this special payment mechanism, but it is not the only organization using cutting-edge strategies. In Zimbabwe, some rural schools accept payment in kind, while others take part in a variety of money-making activities like brick-making, raising cattle, and sewing groups.
The teachers have profited from this revolutionary project as well as the children. The group built a residence for the educators with the money it received from cattle sales. To meet the rising demand for classrooms, more resources are still required. The school makes a donation request to raise money for improving the learning environment.
Less than 25% of children are able to pay fees, which underscores the importance of this non-traditional payment option in a nation where access to traditional forms of currency is still problematic. Most people can’t, and it’s far simpler to pay fees with goats, chickens, and turkeys.
This project demonstrates the tenacity and resolve of Zimbabwean educators and communities to guarantee that no kid is denied an education due to budgetary
