For Wonder Munga, being the only one who completed Form 4
in Mawocha Village of Mbire district is such an enormous achievement.
Although he did not pass a single subject, he is a role
model for the many young children of the Doma tribe who are struggling to
access education in the remote district near the Zimbabwean border with Zambia.
Munga, now 26, finished his O’ level in 2011, and according
to him, the road was not easy as he had to attend school for only two terms a
year.
“The nearest primary and secondary schools are found at
Masoka, some kilometres away across the Angwa River,” he said. “During the rainy season, Angwa is flooded so no-one from
our village can attend school. As a result, many of my colleagues dropped out
at primary school, but I soldiered on.”
Munga said while in Grade 3, he was attacked by a crocodile
as he tried to cross Angwa River on his way to school.
“I had to drop out of school for about two years. I did not
give up because I wanted to make a point that as much as we are looked down
upon, I could make it in life and even drive my own car,” he said showing the
scars on his leg.
Munga shows the scars left on his leg after he was attacked
by a crocodile as he tried to cross Angwa River.
Unfortunately, it appears his dream could not be achieved
owing to the numerous challenges that he faced while trying to earn an O’ level
certificate.
But he is still a hero in his village.
“The young now respect me as the first one [to sit for
O’levels], but they also have questions on what education will benefit them
seeing that I am not working. They just hope they will pass and I encourage
them a lot,” he said.
“I still look forward to sitting for O’ level examinations
again. I want to achieve my goals,” he said, indicating that he was now a
father of two.
The Centre for Community Development in Zimbabwe (CCDZ),
which has been working in Mbire district advocating for improved access to
education among the Doma people, carried out a survey last year and concluded
that pupils now need to travel over 10 km each day to school.
“They have to navigate through the thick Nyasogo forests,
which are “infested with dangerous wild animals such as lions, leopards,
elephants, buffalos, hyenas and other wild animals.”
“The findings from our survey indicate that physical
barriers like the long distances children have to walk to school, and the
rivers that flood during the rain season, and added to that, the wild animals
that lurk in the bushes, discourage attendance,” said CCDZ project officer,
Abigail Chikovha.
Condemned to poverty, the Doma people live in a semi-wild
state with no access to appropriate shelter, electricity, proper road
infrastructure, water and sanitation facilities, among other things that are
essential. standard
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