Chiadzwa children enticed back into classrooms

CHIMANIMANI - A local Non Governmental Organisation, A Self Help Assistance Programme (ASAP), has launched a programme to lure back into classrooms children who had joined the Chiadzwa diamond rush in 2008.

A sports gala was held last week, attended by various stakeholders such as Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Family Planning Council and local councillors.

The students, including many orphans, will be assisted with capital to start self-help clubs which will help them raise funds to pursue their education.

An official from ASAP, Ian Munhungewarwa, told this newspaper that the objectives of the sporting gala were to unite and lure youths who dropped out of school during the Chiadzwa era and teach them how to start their own self-help clubs.

“We will use such tournaments as a platform to counsel the youths about the traumas many of them experienced in the diamond fields and teach them on several income projects so that they can be self-sustainable. This will also help in curbing social vices such as drug abuse and prostitution. They will be able to purchase textbooks and stationery and pay for their fees from the project,” said Munhungewarwa. We really want to encourage them to be self sufficient and to shun the donor syndrome.

He said ASAP had targeted Chimanimani district after they identified a number of youths who dropped out during the diamond rush.

The NGO also donated buckets, soap and t-shirts to villagers.

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