New learning hubs will enable girls with disabilities to access education in Zimbabwe

On 3rd June 2019, Community Based Learning Hubs were opened in seven rural districts across Zimbabwe, as part of a new programme to educate the most marginalised girls, including girls with disabilities.

An estimated 1 in 5 secondary school-age girls in Zimbabwe are not at school and girls with disabilities are among those least likely to access education. CBM is working in partnership with Plan International to help girls with disabilities aged 10-19 who are not currently attending school to access education, helping them catch up with what they’ve missed and then access mainstream schools or provide them with the skills to access business training/apprenticeship roles.

The 6-year programme, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), aims to reach over 21,000 girls who have never attended school or have dropped out, with at least 6% of these being girls with disabilities.

The 132 Learning Hubs will reduce the distance girls have to travel to school, making education more accessible for adolescent girls, in particular girls with disabilities. They will also address school infrastructure barriers such as accessible toilets and menstrual hygiene facilities.

As a vital part of the programme, CBM is providing assistive devices, hub modifications and community sensitisation strategies to reduce stigma and ensure girls with disabilities can access these accelerated learning programmes.

CBM is working with local Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to identify girls with disabilities and the barriers they face and to ensure they have access to the right assistive devices, as well as providing training and materials for community educators for inclusive and gender responsive curriculums.

Images: Celebrations taking place at the launch of the Community Based Learning Hubs in seven rural districts in Zimbabwe, supported by the Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education in Zimbabwe. ©Plan International Zimbabwe