Chipinge youths are on an ambitious plan to take up roles in the administration of School Development Committees, a development they say will enable them to meaningfully participate in community development.
By Moregiven Sithole
According to Platform for Youth Development, an youth organisation working in Chipinge District, two of its members were recently elected to influential School Development Committee (SDC) positions at Muumbe and Makoho primary schools.
“PYD members who managed to win the influential position in the running of public schools are Richard Mtetwa and Forget Hlomani from Muumbe and Makoho village respectively.
“A substantial number of those forwarded by PYD managed to become members of the influential School Development Committees
Richard Mtetwa is now the new Chairperson of Muumbe Primary School while Forget Hlomani was also elected to lead the SDC for Makoho Primary School,” said PYD in a statement released on Monday.
One of the elected members, Hlomani pledged to use his leadership role to unite all community stakeholders for the benefit for the development of both the school and community.
“Leadership is a call to serve, I will take my leadership as an opportunity to prove that young people can be good leaders’’, Hlomani said.
Makoho primary school which was established in 1917 only has two blocks despite having an enrollment of 402 pupils.
On the other hand, Muumbe primary school just like Makoho is found at the Zimbabwe Mozambique border and has been facing high staff turnover due to poor road network and dilapidated school infrastructure.
PYD Director and team leader, Claris Madhuku, his organization will continue to have a positive impact in communities by encouraging young people to participate in all spaces that seeks to influence community development
“Through our advocacy, young people are increasingly becoming involved in decision making and community action,” said Madhuku.
He added that PYD will continue to create empowering platforms and spaces for young people to actively participate, be it at the traditional courts, dip tank committees, School Development Committees, Council and parliamentary elections among other platforms.
SDCs are a critical element of school administration as they bridge the gap between school authorities and the community. They are essential in creating space for both school administration and parents to have a say on how the school is run.
