Villagers from Kheswa village in Mzola East, Lupane, are appealing for assistance to construct a preschool for their children.
The village currently has a preschool operating out of a mud-thatched hut constructed by parents, with only one teacher. The lack of a proper school building has been a challenge for the community for decades.
The dream of building a preschool in Kheswa dates back to 1990, but the project was stalled due to a lack of water in the area. In 2022, the village partnered with Amalima Loko, an organisation that provided them with a borehole, reviving the dream of a preschool.
With access to water, the villagers managed to construct a thatched hut to serve as a temporary classroom for the preschool’s 30 pupils.
However, the community aspires to build a permanent brick-and-cement structure with an asbestos roof.
The lack of a proper preschool has forced children in Kheswa to walk 3 kilometres to the nearest preschool in a neighbouring village. This journey is particularly challenging during the rainy season when children must cross rivers or stay home due to impassable roads.
Pretty Moyo, the preschool teacher and one of the villagers spearheading the construction project, is appealing for support from well-wishers to provide cement and asbestos for the classroom block.
“We’re appealing for assistance such as cement, as parents are not able to buy such material in large quantities so it might slow our pace to construct the block. We are also appealing for asbestos so that it can be constructed fast,” said Moyo.
Chief Menyezwa said the preschool is a priority to the community as children used to skip the preschool stage due to the long distance they had to travel.
“We are happy that we now have water at the pre-school and learners are now learning at a closer school. They also have access to clean water and ablution facilities.”
“We wish that Amalima Loko can also put flashing toilets and upgrade the system since there is access to water,” said Chief Menyezwa.
Those willing to assist the Kheswa community in constructing the preschool can contact Pretty Moyo on 0719478570.
