Cowdray Park is the fastest-growing high-density suburb in Bulawayo. A survey by Zimbabwe Women Resource Centre Network (ZWRCN) revealed that about 45% of children of school-going age in Cowdray Park are not in school owing to lack of adequate education resources in the suburb–an additional 15 schools are required to absorb the children there. EAGLE’s mission is to fill this deficit and empower this community with access to education.
EAGLE’s Learning Institute is in partnership with K.Muzvioni, a leader in the community who is passionate about its people. He helps school dropouts get back on the Academic track and connects new students to the resources they need. Through a combination of his efforts and EAGLE’s revolutionary technology, more than 200 young men and women have already gained access to a quality education.
EAGLE hosts a vibrant learning group in Cowdray Park in conjunction with the local Church of Christ. 30+ students visit the Church for daily lessons and have benefited greatly from the inclusion of EAGLE Learning technology in their studies. Tests conducted by the school measure how much the children benefit from the lessons and recognize deficit areas so that teachers can better help their students.
Hope Schools are located in the Umguza District, which lies in the southern part of Matebeleland North. They use buildings from Hamara farm, which operates in a poor peri-urban region with a high rate of Primary and Secondary school dropouts. Hope Schools have become a place of refuge that provide learners with high-quality resources at an affordable fee.
EAGLE has empowered this school through the use of Tanks, an unplugged coding game developed by the Leva Foundation of South Africa. Unplugged coding refers to coding without the use of computers; it uses customized tokens and image recognition to equip the students with pertinent information without requiring foreknowledge of the concepts. This idea was borne out of a collaboration with the school’s headmaster, Mr. Melusi, who is as passionate as EAGLE about opening the world of technology to these students.
Hope Secondary School opened in January 2020 with 46 pupils and has grown to accommodate almost 200 students today. Using the EAGLE NEST, Hope Secondary pupils were able to pursue their studies during COVID-19-induced lockdowns through e-learning. This e-learning model continues today in the form of on-site tablet access, which allows Hope Secondary to keep the school fees affordable to the community. Additionally, access to this advanced technology gives its 4 teachers the tools to teach 8’O level subjects. This model also encourages pupil engagement and participation through interactive lessons and group discussion forums.
Kezi is located in Matobo, a little-known area in the northeast of Zimbabwe. The area is characterized by massive rocks, mountains, and rivers, making it one of the most beautiful and nature-rich areas in the country. This remote location comes with a price: the nearest high school is 15 km away, requiring students to walk long distances to get to school. Fortunately, EAGLE Learning’s partnership with Kezi has brought education to this beautiful village.
The Silozwane learning group at Kezi is one of the most active groups in our program. Nquobile Mhlanga, the site’s head mentor, provides the students with a timetable not unlike that of a traditional school. These individualized schedules teach personal responsibility, and the group learning sessions assist in building community. The Kezi nest may be in a remote location, but solar power provides the electricity that allows these students to learn off the grid.
Rangemore is only 40km away from Bulawayo CBD. The continuously growing population of this suburb is overwhelming for the current school system, and requires the majority of students to travel far away for their education. EAGLE Learning’s presence in this area seeks to provide a solution to overcrowding and ensure the students’ safety and overall well-being.
The Rangemore campus consists of both a Learning Group and Youth Club. The Learning Group provides the suburb’s children with quality secondary education, and the Youth Club teaches the children about God’s Word. This dual focus on learning and worship produces students with an evident love for their future careers, their fellow man, and the word and works of Christ.
