The objective of Lovemore Project is to work towards improving access to education for rural students in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe faces a multitude of challenges in its accessibility of education. The authorities lack funds needed for infrastructure and maintenance, leaving many schools rundown and rendering children with no option but to live and learn in unsafe conditions. Schools in these rural areas number few, and they service vast catchment areas, leading to many children having to travel long distances by foot just to attend school.

The situation is especially tough in remote districts such as our chosen development area, Hwange. Secondary schools here are distributed at a rate of one school per ward. This means each school has a catchment radius of up-to 20km. The long distance proves an immense hurdle for students’ access to education; results are below the national average, and many children drop out before proceeding to secondary level. The average pass rate for rural secondary is below 30%. For primary schools it is around 37%. For students who want to attend school despite this hurdle, ‘bush boarding’ is their only option. Bush boarding is a situation where the children bring their personal belongings and stay the entire week at their school. They prepare their own meals on open fires outside, bathe themselves however they can, and sleep on the very floor of their classrooms at night. The living conditions of the bush boarding students are immensely challenging, as the lack of supervision and security exposes the children to malnutrition, discomfort, disease, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. These conditions handicap the children greatly, resulting in low rates of attendance, retention and graduation. However, these conditions also show an iron-clad determination from these young students who strive to receive an education. And that is what we hope to aid.

Lovemore Project seeks to provide the basic necessities for these students: access to sanitation and clean water, a dormitory with real beds and electricity, a cooking facility, showers and toilets, a water-tight roof overhead, and paramountly, a secure perimeter.

The target secondary school for this project, Nechishala Secondary School, has had bush boarding arrangements since its opening in 2004. Since then, NSS has also had a record of poor pass rates. In 2016, the school registered a pass-rate of 20% for O-level examinations, far below the district average of 27%. The following two years saw 14 girls and 12 boys dropout of school, with four of these girls leaving due to pregnancy.

Nechishala Secondary School was selected because, out of the 5 secondary schools servicing the ADP (Area Development Program), it has the greatest needs: NSS has the largest concentration of bush boarding students. Within the catchment area radius, some children come from as far as Kasibo, Zwabo and Luseche areas some 15-20km away. The school has a total enrolment of 226 students, with 110 students (56 girls & 54 boys) bush boarding. The daily routine of these children includes a night of sleeping in their classrooms (without beds), bathing in the nearby river or behind bushes in the un-fenced school yard, attending classes in the morning, cooking meals on open fires outside, and completing school chores (fetching firewood and cleaning) in the evenings.

Another concern for the bush boarders at NSS is the absence of clean running water. Our project will drill a borehole that will supply water for drinking, showering, washing and potentially agriculture. The atrium design of our dormitory naturally creates a secure perimeter around the internal courtyard, where the well will be positioned. This will deter potential thievery and ensure the children and their clean water source are safe.

The construction of the Nechishala Secondary School Dormitory would allow the children to have access to safe shelter, sanitary water and cooking facilities, beds and electricity, toilets and showers, and above all, a feeling of security that will allow them to focus their energy on their studies.

Enrolment and retention is expected to improve for children who otherwise would drop out because of the inaccessible distances. Our project will directly benefit 226 students at Nechishala Secondary School. And indirectly, the project will benefit 8 teachers and a community of approximately 2000 around the school.