1. Changing The Cycle of Poverty & Education
Conventional wisdom holds that education is the way out of poverty. However, when we look at the barriers standing between many Zimbabwean children and a good education, we find that many have their roots in the very poverty which we hope education will eradicate.
Poverty inhibits both a child’s access to education and their attainment when in education. This vicious cycle keeps many children in poverty and out of school. ZET recognises that the barriers which prevent Zimbabwean children from a accessing a full and high quality education are found both inside and outside of the classroom.
This ‘dual focus’ runs through all of our work. We aim to help improve material conditions within the Zimbabwean education system and to improve socio-economic conditions for children and young people in their lives outside of education. In doing so we can transform the “vicious cycle” into a “virtuous cycle” – one which helps keep children in school and out of poverty.
2. Genuine Community Ownership
Sustainable development cannot occur unless individual communities take ownership of the process. We believe that this ‘ownership’ is not something which can be inspired from outside or imposed from above.
For that reason, all of ZET’s work is done in partnership with existing grassroots organisations. They have full ownership of the work they carry out and they understand the challenges facing their local communities more fully than we ever could from our base in the UK.
Our role is to support their work through:
Financial Support
Professional Support
Network Building