Valerie Chatindo
The sweet sounds of elated children laughing can be heard in the background. They run up and down, excited to be out of the classroom. And can’t we just relate? After all, we were all kids at some point (some further back than others, admittedly), and at that age, the most trivial of things can prove exciting.
But this isn’t just about having fun. Today, Philip is teaching his third-grade pupils about agriculture. They are farming beans, which will be used as part of their nutritional feeding programme. For educators like Philip, the vast amounts of land found in rural communities, such as his, provide an opportunity to address a problem. Rural learners often come to school hungry or miss out completely for the same reason.
When you’re like me and you’ve lived an urban experience all your life, you’re far divorced from the reality of the majority of society.
Majority?
Yes. 67% of Zimbabwe’s population resides in rural areas, meaning people who have lived in urban areas are a minority. Yet, it often seems that all our government’s focus is diverted towards appeasing the urban minority, which absolutely makes no sense.
The focus needs to be on rural communities and addressing their issues, as well as ensuring they have a life as good as everyone else’s.
Learners shouldn’t come to school hungry or face the same issue at home. Yet, this issue has always been a reality, further compounded by the devastating effects of climate change. The 2023 El Niño was followed by floods in 2024. Africa hardly has a carbon footprint, but we are suffering from the careless actions of others.
And for what?
Mass consumerism.
Due to climate change, parents in the rural community of Chambuta are unable to afford school fees following failed harvests. Learners are attending class hungry or dropping out altogether. Child-headed families are becoming more common as parents migrate for better work opportunities to nearby South Africa, and kids are drawn into poaching for survival.
Only two youths from the area are currently in teacher training — a region where 90% of educators are outsiders unfamiliar with the local language.
Philip Jakarasi has joined the climate action cause in an effort to address the crisis in education caused by the effects of climate change. Philip has engaged his learners in community-based solutions, such as tree planting, climate education, and sustainable farming, to restore both land and learning.
We must act. Education must be protected, adapted, and sustained — even in the face of a changing climate.
As SDG 4 reminds us: “Educated girls and boys become empowered adults who build resilient, thriving communities.”
Let us not forget the rural learner.