Community Reaction to Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes in Zimbabwe

Multinational companies in Zimbabwe initiate and finance community projects through private partnership but the active involvement of beneficiaries in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes projects so that the felt needs of local communities are met has been queried. The study sought to analyse school capacity programme (SCP) being implemented by Delta Corporation in Macheke, Zimbabwe as a corporate social responsibility programmes and interrogated community participation in such projects. The qualitative methodology was utilised with focus group discussions and key informants interview being used as data collection tools. The availability and purposive sampling was employed to identify the study participants. It was revealed that Delta Corporation crafts its CSR policies at national level aiming at addressing poverty at community level. The study, however, revealed that community participation in CSR projects was obscure and the community leadership only played a passive role at project execution stage. The study recommended that government should be active in spearheading CSR initiatives through legislation to ensure that corporate social responsibility becomes an obligation for corporation instead of charity.Key Words: Corporate Social Responsibility, Delta Corporation, school capacity programme, Zimbabw

Factors affecting school completion by the girl-child in Binga Rural District, Zimbabwe

A journal article on factors affecting the high drop-out of girl students from rural schools in Zimbabwe.Despite the plausible increase in the enrollment rate of girls, progress in education among rural girls at global, regional and local level has been impeded by high influx of school dropouts. The objectives of the study were to assess factors that prohibit girls from completing their formal education in Binga rural district in Zimbabwe and to explore the policy and community effort used to deal with the problem of low school completion rate among girls. The study was qualitative in nature. A sample of eleven girls was selected using convenience sampling while key informants were selected using purposive sampling. In addition, in-depth interviews were utilized to get information from the participants. Findings revealed that poor school completion rates in Binga rural district were influenced significantly by the combination of interdependent factors that include teenage pregnancies and early marriages, financial constraints, distance being traveled to attend school, perceived value of girl education, lack of career prospects and absence of female role models. The study came up with recommendations with emphasis on flexible girl-child friendly policies, comprehensive social security, community sensitization and provision of career guidance services for girls in rural areas in Zimbabwe. The study concluded that a collaborative link between school authorities and parents was crucial in order to create conducive conditions for girl education in remote areas

Culturally-inflicted child rights violation: a case of Khomba practice of Shangaan people in Zimbabwe

Wittingly or unwittingly, cultural rights should take central place in the consideration of rights issues and the striving towards a more just world order. Allegedly, harmful cultural practices have collided with children's rights in Zimbabwe and beyond. The study came after the realisation that child rights are being violated through the practice of khomba which is a rite of initiation for adolescents under the age of 18. Therefore, the study focused on interrogating the nature, reasons and community perceptions on culturally-inflicted child rights violations that are associated with the Khomba practice among the Shangaan people in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. This paper adopted a qualitative research design to capture the perceptions of 26 purposively sampled respondents regarding this rite of passage. During data collection, in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and field observations were utilised. The analysis of data was done through thematic content analysis in line with the research objectives. The study exposed a number of Khomba induced child rights violations including; interruption of schooling among adolescents and their exposure to sexually explicit content. It also noted that the rite continues to thrive mainly because of its association with tribal identity as well as authorities‟ hesitation to address the situation. Recommendations of the paper suggested ways in which holistic interventions can begin to address harmful cultural practices within social, legal and political contexts.Keywords: Shangaan People, Child Rights, Khomba ritual, Zimbabw

Homosexuality as a silent insider: a call for social work discourse among Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals (LGB) in Zimbabwe

While Zimbabwean laws are not divergent from those of most countries in the region with regards to criminalising same-sex relationships, social work discourse in this topic remains unarticulated. However, the law, in itself, is not the only real culprit in the politics of sex and sexuality, and there is very little evidence to indicate how powerful the law is in acting as a deterrent. In this article the author reviews literature evidence in corroborations with debates and discussions on the prevalence of multiple problems facing homosexuality scenery. The paper also highlights that Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals (LGB) have a higher prevalence of social challenges than heterosexuals. This article argues the hate speech and the didactic morality of the leadership, among others, are part of authentic reasons why individuals are not realising their human rights as sexual citizens, and are instead being actively vetoed from accessing public social service facilities. This detestable behaviour is born from patriarchal values and social systems that are being propped up by laws, policy, the media and other institutions. This paper revealed that LGB in Zimbabwe experience prejudicial events, expectations of refutation, hiding and concealing, internalized homophobia, and ameliorative coping processes. In this case, the paper suggested that social work, as a caring profession has role in play in protecting the LGB against life adversities in Zimbabwe.Keywords: homosexuality, social work, Zimbabw

Teacher Perspectives on Subject Specialised Teaching in Zimbabwe’s Primary Schools: Potential Impact on Pupil Achievement

In developing countries like Zimbabwe, the issue of education cannot be overstated in discussing main developmental issues. However, formative education such as primary level has not been linked with teacher skills application with emphasizes on being just a general education. Against such backdrop, the study investigated the perceptions of primary school teachers on whether subject specialization can improve learners’ academic achievement. Sequential explanatory mixed methodology was used to collect data from 147 teachers selected using stratified random sample methods to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. One way ANOVA hypothesis tests (p=0.05) showed there was significant statistical differences in means across different demographic variables. Teachers were convinced that subject specialization in primary schools would bring more benefit from individual, community and national level through improved learning outcomes for both teachers and learners. The paper also noted some challenges such as rigid existing curricula, attitude problems, teacher preparedness, inflexible government policies and clashes on subject preferences among teachers. It was concluded that teachers are more inclined towards the idea of introducing subject specialization in primary schools. The paper recommends an adaptation of the teacher training programme to specialized teaching and further scientific studies to determine the feasibility of introducing subject specialization in primary schools in Zimbabwe

Hope or Despair: Mooting the Situation of Children Learning in Satellite Schools in Binga District, Zimbabwe

The role played by government in education in post-colonial Zimbabwe is impressive compared to other African countries. Despite this remarkable contribution, the creation of satellite schools in rural areas was greeted with misgivings. The article reveals the major challenges faced by children learning in satellite schools in Binga District. Using mixed research design, 150 children aged above 13 participated in the survey in a quest to understand their educational circumstances. The children were selected using simple random sampling while 10 teachers and 10 parents were selected using purposive sampling. Although the majority considered the establishment of satellite schools as a hope towards educational access among rural children, the current state of schools is very disquieting. Dilapidated infrastructure, acute shortage of resources, long distances travelled to school and persistent school dropouts were major challenges, among others, besetting children in remote satellite schools. To mitigate the situation, participants suggested various strategies including community resource mobilisation, educational awareness campaigns, national flexible education policies, and more complimentary funds from donors or other stakeholders. This study established that, although the establishment of satellite schools was indispensable, the current state of such schools has brought more despair than hope in Zimbabwe’s rural education system

Unravelling the Educational Conundrums of Children Learning in Zimbabwe’s Resettlement Areas

The purpose of this study was to investigate issues affecting the provision of primary school education in resettlement areas. The study adopted qualitative research design to collect data from sampled participants. Purposive sampling was used to select key informants while availability sampling was adopted to select children and parents. The sample included 5 teachers, 10 students (6 girls and 4 boys), 2 members of the School Development Committee (SDC) and 8 parents. Data was collected through the use of focused group discussions, in-depth and key informant interviews. The study showed that the provision of primary school education in resettlement areas was affected by intricacies of issues such as lack of material resources and basic infrastructure, long distance travelled by pupils, unsatisfactory teaching conditions and the negative attitude towards education by some parents. It was concluded that social, economic and political factors have a bearing on primary education provision in resettlement areas of Zimbabwe. This paper recommends that all stakeholders, including the government, civil society and the corporate world should support the provision of education in remote and marginalized resettlement areas

Information enclave and corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in remote areas: a case of Binga district, Zimbabwe

While media has been voluminous in responding to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; lack of access to key information has relegated rural communities in the developing world as one of the most at-risk  populations. Arguably, information has been a vital tool during the global crisis, carrying vital messaging on disease spread, transmission, treatment and management.  Information availability results in protective health behaviours without which communities succumb to devastating impacts of infectious disease. In Zimbabwe, communities in marginalised and hard to reach areas are the most susceptible to infectious disease, because of insufficient information on symptoms, progression, and actions to take towards treatment. Spurred on by theglobal challenge presented by lack of access to information for rural communities in the developing world, the study makes a case of rural communities in Binga District, Zimbabwe. Through qualitative data collected from eight key informant interviews conducted via phone call with two grass roots organisations and 15 in-depth interviews with community stakeholders, the study establishes that some parts of Binga district rarely receive substantive messaging on COVID-19 disease prevention, identification, and  treatment. The authors encourage the use of models premised on indigenous structures to disseminate vital information on infectious disease in rural communities through traditional leaders, religious heads, and healers. Social work as a human and  service-oriented profession occupies a crucial space in the implementation as well as realisation of such  models