Mlichi Primary School is situated in Mashonaland West in the Hurungwe District. This is a school that opened its doors in the year 2000 owing to the resettlement farmers within the area. Hence there was need for education for the growing population of children. A piece of land was offered by the new owner of the plot to be the new school for the children because the nearest school was miles away.
As the population increased there was need for a bigger space to also accommodate all the grades so in 2002, the school moved further down the plot into what used to be tobacco barns. Here the school had no furniture and students would sit on the floor. The walls of the barns were used as the chalkboard as there was not enough money. The barns had no proper ventilation and when it rained water would find its way into the classrooms. Most students at the school do not have proper school uniforms and the school does not have stationery for the students to read. In 2005 the school received a new headmaster, Mr Rice. As the new headmaster he was determined to bring change to the school with the help of the village headman Mr Kananda and the School Development Committee. In 2015 the school started building a new block a few meters away from the barns with the help of a private partner. The building of the new block was however stopped to allow the building of temporary classrooms for the student and teachers quarters.
In November 2015 160 shoes and 70 reusable pads was donated to the boys and girls at Mlichi Primary School through the Buddyz for Love program by Patsime Trust in partnership with Unga Örnar from Sweden. From this initiative the Jasen Mphepo fund was crafted to help a fraction of the students with their school levy, uniforms and stationery, to create a better environment in order for them realize their dreams. This support came as a generous gesture from students at Bäckängsgymnasiet in Borås. 30 students under the leadership of their two teachers have come up with the initiative to fundraise the students at Mlichi to give them a new lease of life and a chance to exercise their right to education.
Ten students benefited from the program in 2016. 8 girls and 2 boys in grade 7 received full fees for the year, new satchels and stationary including counter books, pens, rulers and pencils.
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- Jasen Mphepo från Patsime Trust
OM PATSIME TRUST
Patsimeredu edutainment Trust is an organisation which uniquely and skillfully uses performing arts as a development communication strategy for improved development communication. The use of art as a tool presents a unique dimension in interpreting and advocating for change on different societal issues that affect different communities and young people in particular.
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It is a youth oriented project which interprets, presents and advocates for behavior change amongst young people in schools, institutions and communities through serialized theatre pieces. The thematic focus boarders on sexual reproductive health and rights for young people, largely looking at prevention of teenage pregnancies, prevention of drugs and alcohol abuse, all forms of abuse, management of peer pressure, STIs, abstinence, intergenerational relationships, forced marriages, gender and sanitation amongst the 8-19 age group. Patsime also provides Consultancy Services in theatre for development and participatory methods, which are flexibly packaged to meet various demands of clients in development agencies. From the time of its inception in 2002, Patsimeredu Trust has contributed to the wide spread social development, restoration and upholding of the Zimbabwean African moral fibre in different communities and provinces of Zimbabwe.
OM MLICHI PRIMARY SCHOOL
Patsime Trust has experience in project planning and has a program portfolio that includes projects which are the following: Buddyz for Luv, a branded multi-media project targeting young people aged between 12 and 20 years. The project uses an edutainment approach, which has over the past five years, included edutainment theatre, which includes a scripted play and post-performance discussions. Patsime has, through time produced its own material, as well as collect and distributed other material from other organisations. The material for schools constitutes part of the Buddyz for Luv brand presenting HIV and AIDS information in a way that is appealing to youth. The material will also be linked to the characters and themes in both the radio and television programmes which Patsime produces. The material will be developed to suite the target group as appropriate, and will be distributed together with other material, collected from other organisations.
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The Interactive Voices project seeks to empower community members to demand for adequate service delivery from their elected officials through constitutional literacy. The projects aim is to provide platforms for knowledge sharing of public service delivery constitutional rights through community interface dialogues in the form of drama presentations. It further creates an opportunity for the community members to engage in dialogue with their Councilors, District officers and in some cases Town Mayors.
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The Workplace Project promotes and supports healthy behavior in the workplace, whilst advocating for improved employee health outcomes through awareness, education, and behavioral change. Holistically, the project looks at a comprehensive wellness program covering psycho social support, Non Communicable Diseases, financial, spiritual, environmental, physical wellness and HIV/AIDS, in order to achieve a work environment that promotes healthy lifestyles, decreases the risk of disease, and enhances the quality of life.
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- Jasen Mphepo från Patsime Trust
