Sunday Mail
12 December 2010
Sunday Mail Reporter
A PRIVATE initiative aimed at assisting over 4 000 talented but underprivileged students through a 15 million euro grant from the German government is being blocked by several non-governmental organisations which are campaigning against the release of the funds on the basis that Zimbabwe is under European Union (EU) sanctions.
The funds, which have been locked up in Berlin since October, were supposed to be channelled to Zimbabwe through the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).
Unicef would, in turn, avail funding to local institutions such as the recently launched Teach Zimbabwe for use in programmes aimed at reviving the education sector.
The German government recently wrote to the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture confirming the allocation of the grant, adding that the funds would be channelled through Unicef.
Soon after the approval of the funds, several anti-Zimbabwe NGOs launched attempts to block the money, citing the sanctions while others clamoured for a chunk of the funds.
Education Minister Senator David Coltart would not comment on the issue last week but a German embassy official confirmed the approval of the funds.
A senior ministry official also confirmed the development, adding that they would have wanted to use some of the money to fund a number of projects including those agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Teach Zimbabwe in October last year.
The MoU entails the establishment of academies of excellence through scholarships for disadvantaged but talented students as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructure in schools to create better learning facilities.
The overall goal of the academies of excellence is to ensure rapid and sustainable recovery and development of the education system, and thus curtail any further loss of national talent, especially among disadvantaged students, through concrete, realistic and demonstrable returns on sufficiently focused investment in the education sector.
“We have been waiting for the release of the funds which we understand have been delayed by infighting amongst some NGOs opposed to progress in Zimbabwe.
“We have heard that some of them are citing the sanctions against Zimbabwe as a basis for blocking the funds but we hope that sanity will prevail for the sake of the intended beneficiaries,†said the ministry official.
Teach Zimbabwe founder Mr Kojo Parris, a respected entrepreneur and former investment banker, confirmed signing the MoU but referred further questions to the ministry.
“We have signed an agreement with the Government. But talk to the Ministry of Education for more details,†said Mr Parris.
The organisation’s other trustees are agronomist and academic Dr Ruvimbo Chimedza and senior business executive Mr Bart Mswaka.
Teach Zimbabwe launched its Zimbabwe Talented but Disadvantaged Children Education Programme under which at least 4 000 are expected to benefit during the first phase of the scheme next year when five to eight million euro are expected to be channelled into 20 schools.