According to UNESCO, it is compulsory for students in Zimbabwe to complete education up to age 12 (UNESCO, 2022), meaning that secondary and tertiary education are not mandatory and many students only receive seven years of education.
In 2013, UNESCO’s data indicated that the net enrollment rate for students in primary school was 94.1% then dropped to 48.7% net enrollment for secondary school, and for tertiary education the gross enrollment rate dropped even further to just 6.9%.
These numbers are important to know, as ONETrack’s mission in Zimbabwe is to ensure that orphaned and vunerable youth have comprehensive access to health and education services. While our partner, Chiedza Childcare Centre, ensures that students in their program recieve access to primary and secondary education. ONETrack noticed a gap in students’ access to education beyond that. With up to 95% of students completing primary school and 64% of their students passing their grade 7 exam, many of them did not have opportunities beyond secondary school.
Thus ONETrack currently sponsors nine students in their tertiary education pursuits, which includes financial support and tuition to vocational training or university. Some of the topics in which the students are studying include history, family and religious studies, sociology, mathematics/economics, and Shona (a Bantu language spoken in the south of Zimbabwe). With increased funding, ONETrack looks forward to offering more students access to education beyond secondary school so that orphaned and vulnerable children can become successful and productive members of Zimbabwe society.
