“a coping mechanism in rural areas where students are forced to live at schools due to their extensive commuting distances. Students often sleep in classrooms, cook their own meals on open fires, and face unsafe living conditions.”

“So, the challenge? Homelessness as a barrier to education.”

“Our solution? Infrastructure.”

Our mission is to complete infrastructure projects for this community in order to safely house these students and remove this barrier to education. Our work with World Vision Zimbabwe has led to the construction of a small sleeping quarters for the female students at Nechishala, and we are currently fundraising for the construction of sanitation facilities so that these girls may have access to safe hygiene.

Current Development: Sanitation Facilities

“The current phase of this project focuses on the construction of essential sanitation infrastructure for the female students. This stage will deliver a brick extension to the existing girls’ sleeping quarters, consisting of three toilets and three showers, complete with sinks, basins, and access to running water. The facility will be supported by a 5,000-litre water tank, ensuring consistent availability for hygiene practices and daily use. At present, students are forced to walk approximately one kilometre to a nearby river to bathe, exposing them to safety risks and unhygienic conditions. The completion of these facilities will eliminate this need, providing students with safe, private, and dignified access to sanitation directly where they live. This development will immediately improve safety, health, and quality of life for approximately 30 young female students who are currently living homeless at the school, creating a safer environment for them to undertake their studies.

Future Developments at Nechishala

With fundraising for the sanitation facilities nearing completion, Lovemore Project will move into the next stages of development for this community.

Stage Two: Community Water Well

The next development will be for the construction of a freshwater well to provide reliable drinking water not only Nechishala Secondary, but for the entire surrounding community. Access to clean water is essential for health, sanitation, and long-term development, and this project will significantly reduce daily risks and burdens faced by the students. This stage will also support the long-term functionality of the sanitation facilities, ensuring a stable and safe water supply for years to come that does not rely solely on rainfall capture.

Stage Three: Boys’ Dormitory Wing

Following the completion of water infrastructure, Lovemore Project aims to construct a boys’ dormitory wing, extending safe accommodation to more students currently affected by bushboarding. This will allow additional young people to remain in school without facing the risks of bushboarding.

Further Developments & Our Long-Term Vision

Beyond this site, Lovemore Project’s long-term mission is to address bushboarding at scale. Using a large dormitory blueprint we have developed in-house, we aim to create a repeatable, community-led model for student housing that can be implemented across rural regions facing similar challenges. Rather than one-off staging builds, our goal is to develop a proven, scalable blueprint which delivers dormitory facilities in multiple locations over time. We recognise that becoming a charity capable of delivering projects at this scale requires trust, traction, and sustainable growth. By building brick by brick, alongside our communities and our partners, we are laying the foundations for a future where no student is forced to choose between an education or having a home. We are Lovemore Project, and there is nothing we’d love more than to have you on board.”