NGO donates to Khami school

Sunday News
Sunday News Reporter
7th March 2010

A Non-governmental organisation named Art Of Living (AOL) donated learning materials to Khami primary school yesterday.

The goods were donated at a ceremony graced by the minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, who was the guest of honour.

The Provincial Education Director (PED) for Bulawayo, Mr Dan Moyo, the officer commanding Khami Prison, Senior Assistant Commissioner Rhodes Moyo and other prison officials, also attended the occasion.

Speaking on behalf of AOL, Mrs Leena Naik said in the year 2000, Zimbabwe agreed to fulfil eight Millennium Development Goals, as a result the organisation wanted to play its part and assist in the achievement of universal primary education.

“To this end, we have a donation of textbooks, educational aids and stationery, including two computers with accessories, printer and extra toner to help teachers teach effectively, library books, both fiction and reference for children to achieve basic primary learning,” she said.

AOL, founded in 1982, has run programmes successfully with inmates and prison officers at Khami and Chikurubi prisons.

“The Prison Smart Course particularly aims at rehabilitating prisoners by equipping them and prison officers with techniques and skills to deal with the mind when under stress,” said Mrs Naik.

The organisation also handed to teachers’ grocery hampers and footwear to 32 children who walk five kilometres to school.

Garden equipment was also donated plus 50 indigenous saplings to be planted around the prison complex.

Minister Coltart said it was important to assist schools and facilities such as prisons because they were in a “distressing state”. He said it was depressing when a nation does not treat its vulnerable citizens — children and prisoners. “Our children are vulnerable because they are small and physically weak. The prisoners are vulnerable because they have their operational rights taken away, they cannot exercise freewill in prison,” he said.

The minister said the nation had a duty to make sure vulnerable people in society were catered for and that he was deeply concerned that Government had no sufficient resources to back projects yet it spent US$28 million on state travel.

He said there was a need for Government to prioritise that children were educated and guarantee prisons were catered for.