Select a school to find out more
Choto is in the driest area with temperatures reaching 40 degrees. They receive such little rainfall during the year that the ground remains hard and parched. It is a struggle to grow their own food making it an extremely poor area. The school is managed by a competent, hard working Head teacher who has a good relationship with the surrounding community who often send letters of gratitude for avoiding a hunger catastrophe amongst their children.
Enrolment: 396 children
This small, remote school is the hardest to reach as there are no roads at all. It has recorded the largest increase in enrolment with over 60% more children now attending school consistently than before the feeding programme. Nyadengu was created by one very proactive teacher who recognised the need for another school so children did not have to walk the long distance to Piriviri. At this stage, they have no school buildings at all – just thatched shelters. The surrounding community suffers from severe malnutrition with many elderly guardians whom we have started to include in food distribution.
Enrolment: 473 children
Along with Nyadengu School, they must rely on parent and community volunteers to use their scotch carts and cattle to bring food over the river from Kenzamba School. During the rainy season, the river can flood the banks and during the hottest months the river becomes completely dry, but crossing it is not much easier. Enrolment here depends entirely on the feeding programme.
Enrolment: 220 children
The community around Obva School rely mostly on gold panning to get an income. The Head teacher has reported a very positive impact on the children’s health and school performance from receiving their mahewu porridge drink every school day. The Head has a particular interest in drama, helping the children to express their poverty and nutrition struggles through plays, one of which was shortlisted in a country-wide competition.
Enrolment: 595 children
Investment from an international NGO in the 1980s made this a once well-established, thriving school, using natural energy through a windmill and nearby dam. Even with a proactive community the school has been unable to maintain itself without any funding. The school also caters for the neighbouring district which is over 20kms away. Children wake up before sunrise to make the long journey to school and are then dismissed after feeding so they can get back home before dark. The parents are incredibly grateful their children now have the energy to walk the long distance and enrolment has increased by 56%.
Enrolment: 331
Kenzamba is the oldest school built during the colonial era. It is the only school with links to electricity and fairly good infrastructure, however, it is now rare for them to receive electricity from the main grid and years of no funding has left the school dilapidated, serving a poor community. Kenzamba plays an important role in helping us to access smaller, more remote schools, over the nearby river. If it were not for the hard work of their teachers and parents, we would not be in a position to reach those schools.
Enrolment: 992 children + 63 in ECD Centre
Chihwiti was created by former farm workers who were negatively affected by the land distribution programme in 2000. It is the first school we started working with and currently the biggest. It serves a large area so many children walk long distances to get here. Even though the enrolment increase has not been as much as others, the cases of severe malnutrition have been high and thankfully have improved drastically.
Chihwiti has five ECD (Early Childhood Development) Centres attached to it, although they are spread out to reduce the distance young children must walk. They are Montana, White City, Dambarare, Zumba 8 and Tiritose ECD Centres.
Enrolment: 1,180 school children + 266 ECD children.
Known as a “centre of excellence” due to the school administration who are impeccably organised – even though they only have one complete classroom block, with the rest being thatched shelters or under trees. Since the feeding programme started here, they have recorded a 51% increase in their enrolment, which has now remained consistent. Kemukaka have the best exam results in the district and have attributed this to the children’s improved concentration levels from the feeding program.
Enrolment: 507 children
This ECD center is part of the nearby Kenzamba Primary School which was once a thriving agriculture community. However, years of relentless drought and poverty mean this generation of children now depend on aid to survive the current hunger crisis.
The mahewu porridge-based drink, given to the ECD children, is fortified with vitamins and minerals that are essential to the healthy development and growth of young children. Without these nutrients and energy, the children are at high risk of long-lasting physiological problems.
Enrolment: 65 children
In Zimbabwe it is compulsory for children to attend an ECD centre if they are to be accepted into school. However, there is no provision or funding for these centres so many are built by the villagers and have volunteer teachers. Ruff’s Kitchens is committed to supporting these forgotten communities through nutrition aid.
Enrolment: 34 children
Attached to Chihwiti Primary School but are located closer to various villagers because the very young children who attend, are not able to walk the long distance to the Primary School.
Enrolment: 35 children
The children only attend the ECD centre for approximately 2-3 hours per day, however a large part of this is having mealtime together which is provided by Ruff’s Kitchens and is a relief for both the growing children and their parents. For many, it is their main source of nutrition.
Enrolment: 68 children
