Chiedza continues to support vulnerable families by helping children to access free basic education at their centre and to strengthen the economic capacity of their main caregivers, through support with income-generating activities. Due in part to the pandemic, the caregivers of seven children who have been integrated into secondary school are struggling to earn their income through their micro-enterprises and their children are in danger of dropping out. It is against this backdrop that the organisation has decided to support these children for one year, while their caregivers are reviving their businesses. This has been made possible with support from the ICT COVID Relief Fund and the Rotary Club of Coventry.

Below are two of the children who are benefitting from this bursary.

Tinotenda is a nineteen year old maternal orphan who is studying for his ‘A’ level examinations. He is currently living with his father and stepmother. There are five children in the family and all are attending primary and secondary schools. Chiedza has decided to give financial support to Tinotenda so that he can complete all his ‘A’ level courses.

Chipo is sixteen years of age and studying for GCSE ‘O’ level examinations in November of this year. Chipo’s mother is the head of the household of a family of nine children. When Chipo and her twin sister completed their exams in 2018, their mother could not collect their results due to unpaid school fees but was subsequently helped with this. Chipo is academically gifted and particularly wanted to complete her exam courses and Chiedza is supporting her to do this. Her twin sister is also continuing her studies and has been given a place in our out-of-school continuing education programme.