Zimbabwe’s literacy rate, according to the United Nations Development Programme, stands at 96.4 percent, but the country’s skills enhancement programmes are considered poor.
In a speech read on his behalf at a pre-departure briefing for Zimbabwean students who benefited from a scholarship programme from North Cyprus based Near East University, Turkish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Kemal Demirciler, said Zimbabwe was lacking in skills development, hence his country’s commitment to assisting the Southern African country.
The NEU was founded by Turkish Cypriot educationist and entrepreneur, Suat Gunsel, in Nicosia in 1988.
It has over 24, 000 students from 90 countries and 17 academic faculties and 90 departments and offers internationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programmes.
In Zimbabwe, the university’s scholarship programmes are coordinated by Eskard Consulting.
Said Demirciler: “The main purpose of establishing this collaboration is to widen the skills base for Zimbabwe. The range of programmes offered by NEU will enhance and strengthen what the government of Zimbabwe is striving to achieve.
“We must recall that Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa. However, it is in the area of skills that it lags behind.
We need to match the literacy rate to the skills. This is in areas such as commerce, business, communication, information technology and so on. As an embassy, we will continue to support you and make sure your dreams and expectations come true.”
Since September 2013, a total of 110 students from over 10 High Schools in and around Harare have been recruited to study at NEU.
The students will study for the February and September 2014 intakes. The students, according to Eskard managing director, Moses Arogo, have received 50 percent tuition scholarship spread over a period of four years.
Demirciler said his country would continue facilitating easy travel for Zimbabwean students wishing to study in Cyprus.
“I am sure you are aware that there are no direct links between Zimbabwe and Northern Cyprus. We as an embassy are there to facilitate these kinds of ties with our brothers in Northern Cyprus. As you are aware, your children going out will pass through our biggest city Istanbul. There, they will get connecting flights to Northern Cyprus and their university,” said Demirciler.
Post published in: News
Skills are fine but its the hostile political and business environment that has killed industry in Zimbabwe. Look at all the medical doctors, nurses, PhDs, Engineers etc who have had to leave the country because the political environment became so toxic no genuine enterprise (fake=politically connected and run with stolen funds and surviving on patronage e.g. Gono’s businesses). Nothing short of a government that has the nation at heart and willing to accept mistakes will rescue Zimbabwe. As it is once the skills are acquired one would be stupid to stay in Zimbabwe. That is a fact! I never thought I would dream of leaving ZW but when I could not afford school fees for my kids (a professor failing to educate his children yet his parent sent him to school on money earned from selling groundnuts)! I realized it was time to bite the bullet and leave for the diaspora. Its been eight years and I have not looked back. My kids have done well going through University. Mugarbage and is system of patronage has destroyed a country I never thought I would leave. Every time I come home (once every year) the decay of infrastructure and the suffering of the rural people depress me and leave me with so many questions. The new generation now believes its ok to steal and be proud of it. In my days of youth pride was derived from hard earned worked be it physical or mental but today its how well connected you are. We have lost all the moral that used to be a pillar of one’s progress and hence that of the nation.