…….Gangarabwe High School nears completion*
By Dumisani Ndlovu
The construction of the US$2 million Gangarabwe Boarding High School in Chiwundura Communal Lands has brought joy and hope to locals, marking a significant milestone in the government’s Integrated Skills Expansion Programme.
The school, 75% complete, is expected to open next year with 700 students. It’s already benefiting the community through job creation and quality education.
Betty Biddy praised the project, saying, “We were relieved when this project was brought to us… Our children have been engaged as bricklayers, carpenters, among other activities. The creation of these jobs has resulted in our children shunning drug and substance abuse.” She noted that children previously walked 7 kilometers to St Patricks High School, often missing school due to flooded rivers.
Local headman Knowledge Muzira echoed the excitement, saying, “This is a big project… We were ecstatic when the government decided to bring it here.” Plaxedes Moyo added that locals received skills training through ISEOP, leading to employment on the project.
Mkoba Teachers College Vice Principal Martin Mukwezhe highlighted the project’s focus on industrialization, stating, “We are talking of industrialization which needs skilled people… The area will have several skilled people through this programme.” Almost the entire workforce is local, creating employment and quality education.
Chiwundura Constituency legislator Sleiman Kwidini noted that the project aligns with Education 5.0, promoting goods production. “Children have been moving out of the area to look for such facilities, but this boarding school will be a game changer.”
Minister Owen Ncube confirmed the school’s completion target for mid-2025. Phase one is 75% complete, with two classroom blocks finished. Phase two will include dormitories, more classrooms, teachers’ houses, and laboratories.
The project implements a skills transfer model, incorporating community members. Ncube encouraged traditional leaders to promote building skills among youths, which will be certified through trade testing, with tools handed over to the community.
Minister Ncube inspects one of the finished classrooms at Gangarabwe High School in Chiwundura. Looking
on is Mkoba Teachers College vice principal Martin Mukwezhe, Chiwundura legislator Sleiman Kwidini
