By Valerie Chatindo
The pitter-patter of feet and bursts of laughter echo from the single block at Mulindi Secondary School. Suddenly, excited squeals fill the air as teenagers scatter for shelter. The rains have arrived in full force, and the lone structure cannot accommodate the entire school.
Inside one classroom, a young teacher grips a piece of chalk and continues her lesson, undeterred by the chaos outside.
Mary Sobrinyo is a high-school teacher whose passion has taken her to some of Zimbabwe’s most remote communities. A former Teach For Zimbabwe fellow and Kuyenda Collective Rural Youth Champion, she works to improve educational outcomes in under-resourced schools while advocating for rural youth. Her work reflects a commitment to bridging gaps in education and amplifying marginalised voices.
Her journey begins in Shurugwi, in Midlands Province. Once each term, Mary travels more than 600 kilometres to reach Mulindi Secondary School in Binga, Matabeleland North. The route takes her through Bulawayo and along the Victoria Falls–Bulawayo Road, a stretch often under rehabilitation. Buses frequently break down, leaving passengers stranded for hours in remote areas with limited food, no network, and few options for assistance.
When she arrives, the challenges continue. Her accommodation is modest, with a metal-frame bed and a roof that leaks during heavy rains. Access to healthcare is limited, and she often walks about 10 kilometres to the nearest clinic. Network coverage is sparse, making it difficult to stay connected with family and colleagues. Yet she returns each term, driven by her commitment to her learners.
At school, infrastructure constraints shape daily teaching. The single block of classrooms serves the entire school. In the incomplete Form 2 chidumba, learners improvise seating with bricks, buckets, or metal sheets. When rain arrives, lessons are disrupted. Mary adapts by teaching under trees, sharing available classrooms, or using any shelter she can find. Some days involve chasing goats out of classrooms; others require guiding learners through unsafe spaces. Improvisation is part of the routine.
Mary’s experiences reflect broader challenges in rural education. Research conducted by Kuyenda Collective Rural Youth Champions in collaboration with Teach For Zimbabwe highlights high student-to-teacher ratios, overcrowded classrooms, shortages of textbooks and teaching guides, limited infrastructure for learners with disabilities, and weak support for school feeding programmes. These findings are often presented as statistics, but in classrooms like Mary’s, they are lived realities. Teachers stretch their resources, learners share limited space, and lessons pause when infrastructure fails.
Mary’s story illustrates the resilience required to teach in rural Zimbabwe, but it also points to systemic gaps. Educators continue to adapt, yet sustained progress will depend on investment in infrastructure, resources, and equitable access to education. Supporting rural schools can improve teacher retention, strengthen learner attendance, and create environments where students can thrive.
Investing in rural learners is ultimately an investment in Zimbabwe’s future.