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Summary of research findings to assess the impact of the displacements of school children following the Operation Restore Order
Women and AIDS Support Network (WASN)
April 25, 2006

Women and AIDS Support Network (WASN) is an organization that was founded in 1989 to respond to HIV and AIDS issues from a gender specific perspective. This was after the realization that women and girls were the most affected and infected by HIV and AIDS, hence the need to conduct a program that specifically caters for their needs. WASN’s aim is thus to create an atmosphere where women and girls enjoy their full sexual, reproductive health and rights in the era of HIV and AIDS.

In September and October 2005 WASN carried out a survey to assess the impact of the displacements of school children following the Operation Restore Order of June and July 2005.

1. Glenview/ Mufakose District

• Glen View 1 Primary
• Budiriro 1 Primary
• Mutiunokura Primary
• Rugare Primary
• Glen View 1 High
• Budiriro High
• Mufakose 1 High
• Kambuzuma 1 High

2. Mbare/ Hatfield district

• Chitsere Primary
• Gwinyai Primary
• Nharira Primary
• Sunningdale 1 Primary
• Harare High
• Mbare High
  

3. Mabvuku/ Tafara District

• Mabvuku Primary
• Tafara Primary
• Epworth Primary
• Mabvuku High
• Tafara 1 High
• Epworth High

Due to the protocol used in the Ministry of Education the survey could not be done during or just after completion of the Clean up exercise, as we had to seek authority first. After authority was granted by the Ministry of Education, we still had to liase with the District Education Officers then finally with the school Heads. This took long as we had to make appointments, thus we carried out the survey in September and October.

Schools were not able to give us adequate information as to whether the children had transferred or relocated elsewhere without requesting transfer letters but some children were no longer at these schools.

Assumptions were made that they were now attending school elsewhere, as there was no follow up of the children that were no longer attending school. No addresses could be followed up on. Most displaced people were taken to Caledonian Farm where there were no schools or arrangements for mobile teachers. Children did not attend lessons for sometime before moving to their rural homes.

Resistance due to fear :– In some cases when a school was visited and the school head, the deputy or senior teacher were not there, the interviewers were not given adequate information.

Findings

1. Enrolment

Primary schools
Generally, all schools surveyed were affected by the Operation Restore Order. For some schools enrolment dropped drastically and did not go up even with transfers coming in. There was an element of fear that came through all the key informants as one probed for more data. We were not given enough information on numbers of girls or boys displaced but totals in some cases.

The least affected school had lost 40 pupils, with the most affected losing 397 pupils. Children from grades 1 to 6 were equally affected except those in grade 7 who were mostly left in the custody of relatives, friends and neighbours as they had already registered for their final examinations. From our experience children often left in custody of relatives were also on high risk of abuse and rape.

Secondary schools

The reasons for the difference in secondary schools were due to influx from one district to another, with very few going to rural areas. Pupils in forms 1, 2, 3 and 5 were mostly affected, as they were not writing national examinations.

Overally, the girl child has been greatly affected as most parents found it difficult to leave them with their neighbours or relatives. As a result a greater percentage of the children who moved were girls. They also dropped out of school. When girls drop out of school chances of getting involved in sexual activities become high thereby increasing the chances of being infected with HIV and STIs.

Teachers complained of loosing intelligent students though there was less workload as the teacher-pupil ratio dropped. This affected the moral of most teachers, as they would have wanted to retain their bright students.

There was fear amongst teachers themselves of being moved to rural schools or other schools as the enrolment dropped.

Only one school mentioned of 3 infants suffering from HIV as the parents had opened up for the special cases to obtain medication and food on time. In other schools they were just taken as ill pupils.

2. Class performance
Overall performance in all schools was affected. Performance of children that are staying with relatives is also likely to drop due to lack of supervision. Some children are now travelling long distances to school and they get there late and tired and this has affected their performance. Even the chances of being waylaid on their way to and from school increases.

The clean up also affected some teachers who now resided far from the schools they teach, hence affects their punctuality and way of work deliverance as they now commute from far away places. This in turn affects the learning time of pupils as well.

Some teachers saw themselves being redeployed due to overstaffing as a result of abolishment of some classes as high numbers of students had left.

3. Abuse
Some of the children now stay with relatives and this increases the chances of children being abused, as people are squatting in small single rooms. Some cases of rape have been reported to the school heads and senior teachers. Though both boys and girls can be abused, the girl child is at greater risk.

Food security for these children was reduced increasing chances of girls being sexually abused by well-off people. This increases the chances of these children contracting STIs, HIV and AIDS.

Due to lack of supervision juvenile delinquency becomes rampant.

4. Care and support
In Tafara there were children who were being supported by Mashambanzou and have moved elsewhere and are therefore unlikely to continue getting support. In other areas children were getting support from the District AIDS Action Committees (DAACs) and they are likely to face problems with continuity of support. Students being supported by Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) who were displaced might not get first preference elsewhere. All these children will experience a loss of education, care, treatment and nutritional support.

The health of ill children who slept outside with their parents was compromised by the harsh cold winter and coupled with failure to access treatment these children could die outside.

Comments

• Most teachers interviewed felt that in future the plans should be build first, allocate and destroy that which is not authorised.
  
• Some felt people now suffered due to lack of supervision by authorities who let these structures mushroom without proper planning and others felt the same squatters were used on the voter’s roll as legal residents by some politicians to gain political mileage and who now have no constituencies but are still holding on to the seats in parliament.
  
• Others felt that there should be enough resources allocated before the implementation.
  
• Some teachers felt they should get first priority to accommodation sites so that they build their own houses as they find it difficult to lodge at places where their students reside.
  
• Support systems should be in place when such exercises are carried out e.g. people living with HIV and were on medication, were displaced and they can no longer afford bus fares from rural areas to pick their medication.
  
• Continuity to uptake of medication was disrupted and if people been given enough time to relocate they could have made prior arrangements as to how to get their medication elsewhere.
  
• Corrupt authorities to be exposed, named and shamed as most displaced persons may be short- changed by these authorities for their relatives to benefit from built accommodation and even allocation of stands.
  

Implications of all this to our Adolescent girls affected:

• May never be able to go back to school, as parents may not see it as priority.
• May start engaging in early sexual activity predisposing themselves to infections such as STIs and HIV.
• May lack understanding on issues affecting them as education may be lacking.
• May fail to assert and put self- value to themselves.
• May live risky lives because of dependence on men for money.
• May never be gainfully employed as they may lack professional qualifications.
• For those who were on treatment and moved to other places, chances are treatment was discontinued.
• Some could have needed further tests and nothing could be done in the new places.

Visit the WASN fact sheet

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