Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation of Taiwan has shipped material to construct 10 temporary classrooms to a school in central Zimbabwe where students sit on the ground without desks and chairs. For nearly five years, volunteers have been working in the southern African country to improve the lives of its people.

The Epworth School is in Rusununguko, a region with over 70,000 people which is about 90 minutes drive from the capital Harare. It has 1,023 students. For the last two years, volunteers have been helping the students and their community, distributing food, cutting the hair of the students, cleaning the lice from their hair and providing hygiene education. Having no proper classrooms, the students study in tents or under the shade of trees. They have to lie on big stones to write.

To improve these poor condition, the foundation is providing 10 temporary classrooms, each 7 x 13 meters and able to accommodate 100 students, a total capacity of 1,000 students. They shipped the materials on May 3. They are due to arrive in Zimbabwe in early July and volunteers will fly from Taiwan to help construct the rooms. In addition, as there is no supply of electricity, the volunteers will also provide solar street lights to improve security for the children.

In early 2012, due to an outbreak of cholera, the water in the local reservoir was contaminated and it was only possible to drink water one or two days a week. Tzu Chi volunteers quickly provided 50,000 bottles of purification liquid and worked with local Department of Education officials to promote the use of it, by providing health education workshops on the campus.

Since November 2007, the volunteers have carried out emergency distributions of relief items in Zimbabwe. With a spirit of compassion and Great Love, Tzu Chi has also begun to assess and evaluate mid to long term plans to construct permanent school buildings in Zimbabwe.