Tsholotsho Youth hub has launched an education programme to assist underprivileged children with special needs and improve the poor pass rate in the area.
The hub founder Zibusiso Sibanda said they want to provide measurable social and economic value for all youths in Tsholotsho and that they are targeting Tsholotsho high school for the launch of their pilot project.
“We have started establishing a database for children with disabilities after a realisation that children with disabilities are often neglected in the community resulting in them lagging behind in terms of education.
This is also caused by a lack of knowledge in the community on how to co-exist with them. I have approached village heads and Chief Siphoso over the issue and they have promised to assist,’’ said Sibanda.
“Donors are readily available for the rollout of the project but are waiting to be furnished with a database for the children, this will enhance chances of a higher pass rate in the area through the provision of resource units’’.
Sibanda due to some cultural beliefs children living with disabilities are mistreated in some communities.
“They are denied access to basic human rights, even during the census some of them were discouraged from participating. Tsholotsho high school had facilities before but the project was abandoned due to lack of funding so we want to revive it before it can spread to other places,’’ he said.
Chief Siphoso welcomed the move and noted that the community has not done enough to uplift the standard of living of underprivileged children.
Ward 12 Tsholotsho headman Sicelo Dube who is also Tsholotsho high school headmaster said they were ready to implement the project.
“It is good news to the community; we have many children here with different forms of disability. We had such a facility in Tsholotsho high but was abandoned due to lack of funding now that we have someone who wants to revive the program. That will be great. We can have three classes of such children in the school if we all put our heads together,’’ he said.
