Hunger in Zimbabwe drives up school dropout rate
Zimbabwean children walk to primary school Picture: TRF/Marko Phiri
When Thabiso Dube isn国产视频檛 helping his mother at home, the scrawny eight-year-old is working alongside her, doing odd jobs in exchange for food.
He should be in class but has virtually dropped out of school because he is always hungry, said his mother Sithandile Dube, of Lupane district in Matebeleland North province.
Thabiso only goes to school 国产视频渋f he has the strength,国产视频 she says 国产视频 which can be as little as once a week, usually when there is enough to eat at home.
国产视频淲e haven国产视频檛 had enough (food) for a long time. Our crop failed. That国产视频檚 why now I have to work for other people,国产视频 she said.
Over the past five years, Zimbabwe国产视频檚 two Matebeleland provinces and the country国产视频檚 Midlands have been suffering from a disastrous mix of erratic rainfall, flash floods and long dry spells.
In a country where 80% of maize 国产视频 the national staple 国产视频 comes from the fields of small-scale farmers, the extreme weather has severely depleted stocks of food in many homes 国产视频 and schoolchildren are bearing the brunt of the shortages, experts say.
In October, Matebeleland North provincial education director Boithatelo Mguni issued a statement saying that up to 6000 children across the province are dropping out of classes because of they are too hungry to attend.
国产视频淚 ask my pupils why they did not come to school and they reply that it is because there is no food at home,国产视频 said George Sithole, a primary school teacher in Lupane. 国产视频淭he situation is grim.国产视频
According to Sithole, the effect of Zimbabwe国产视频檚 food shortage became clear when schools started in September.
国产视频淚 have 45 pupils, but these days I would be lucky to have half the class,国产视频 he said. 国产视频淐ases of children fainting in class because of hunger are very common here. It is very traumatising.国产视频
Nurses at one Lupane clinic said they are getting an increase in the number of children losing unhealthy amounts of weight because of lack of food.
A child walks through a drought-hit area of Matabeleland
According to the Commercial Farmers Union, Zimbabwe produced 1.4 million tonnes of maize last year, far short of the 2.1 million the country needs. With Zimbabwe again battling drought, experts predict maize production could dwindle even further.
Zimbabwe国产视频檚 government and non-governmental organisations have put into action plans to tackle the food shortages, but not all of them are proving effective, experts say.
In September, President Robert Mugabe announced that the government is importing maize and mobilising food aid, promising that no one in the country would die of hunger.
But in a statement on October 9, United Nations resident coordinator Bishow Parajuli said $132 million is still needed to secure food assistance to 1.5 million hungry Zimbabweans.
In Lupane and several drought-hit districts in Zimbabwe国产视频檚 southwest, children国产视频檚 charity World Vision International and the UK国产视频檚 Department for International Development have together launched a scheme that gives families vouchers to redeem for groceries at designated outlets.
国产视频淲e want children to benefit from this assistance,国产视频 said Khumbulani Ndlovu, World Vision Zimbabwe国产视频檚 integrated programmes manager.
To ease farmers国产视频 reliance on rain to grow their crops, Zimbabwe国产视频檚 vice president Phelekela Mphoko announced recently that the government aims to try to rebuild Zimbabwe国产视频檚 largely collapsed irrigation infrastructure.
Zimbabwe also has received a $99 million farm equipment loan from Brazil under the South American country国产视频檚 More Food for Africa initiative.
However, Zimbabwe国产视频檚 agriculture minister said farmers will have to pay for the equipment 国产视频 which includes tractors, planters and fertiliser spreaders 国产视频 effectively excluding poor rural farmers.
Critics say lack of equipment is not the key problem and the government should focus on finding ways to ease the impacts of Zimbabwe国产视频檚 increasingly unpredictable climate on families like Dube国产视频檚.
国产视频淲e can only hope for rains so we can plant our own food,国产视频 she said.
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