ZIMBABWE AIDS ORPHANS SOCIETY - Zimbabwen Aids-Orvot ry

FINANCIAL YEAR 2011SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONIn 2011, programme support focused as before on twogroups of children, Alpha and Omega. Every child in theAlpha group has a dedicated sponsor and receives fullDzikwa support for education and welfare. The childrenin the Omega group do not satisfy Dzikwa’s academiccriteria and are selected on social grounds from amongthe most needy children in the township. They do not receivefull support from Dzikwa and do not have a personalsponsor. In 2012, Dzikwa no longer has the resourcesto support children in this group.Number and distribution of childrenLevelIII/2011GirlsIII/2011BoysIII /2011TotalI/2012GirlsI/2012BoysI /2012TotalPrimary Grades 1-7 142 79 221 149 72 221Junior Secondary72 48 120 75 49 124Forms 1-4Senior Secondary12 11 23 18 13 31Forms 5-6Schools for Disabled 3 1 4 2 2Schools Total 229 139 368 244 134 378Tertiary Education 12 12 24 15 13 28Total 241 151 392 259 147 406Thirty-one of the secondary school pupils (15 girls and 16boys) were at two boarding schools about 250 km southof Harare (Dewure and Gutu High Schools). Dzikwa cansend a child to boarding school with the consent and supportof the sponsor if the guardian’s situation and homeconditions are particularly difficult and if the child is doingsufficiently well at school (average grade at least 70%).In the course of the year, six pupils left the programme forreasons of their own, e.g. moving elsewhere or marriage.At the end of the year, shortage of funds forced us to stopsupporting children without sponsors who were receivingsupport on purely social grounds (Omega group).The proportion of girls in the programme has remainedat around 65%.Final exams taken in 2011Exam Number, 2010 Number, 2011 Prediction, 2012Grade 7 29 28 34O-Level 39 40 33A-Level 6 11 16Total 74 79 83In Zimbabwe, children usually start school at age 6 andthe primary level (Grades 1-7) lasts seven years. Juniorsecondary (Forms 1-4, O-level) lasts four years and seniorsecondary (Forms 5-6, A-level) two years.A good half of Dzikwa pupils who sat for their O-levels in2011 gained high enough marks to continue to A-levels.The maximum number of points in A-levels is 15; Dzikwa’stwo best boys gained 12 points and two best girls11 points. A total of 40 Dzikwa pupils were made prefectsduring the year (25 in 2011).Analysis of school reports at the end of 2011 revealedthat only half of all sponsored children (Alpha group) satisfiedwell the minimum requirement for school perfor-mance. The proportion has risen to 60% in the first term2012. In the lowest classes at primary level, almost 90%of children easily achieved the required standard.Dzikwa is making every effort to establish, and moderate,the factors interfering with pupils’ school performance.The children are offered extra guidance with homeworkand assignments. All age groups need more group studyand peer support. Our volunteers and students on attachmentsare seeking to determine the reasons for poorperformance together with the children themselves. Thechildren are being encouraged to spend more time studying.One of Dzikwa’s challenges is to motivate guardiansto become involved with and support their children’s education.15