S&D ISSUE 56
RISING STAR PRIMARY SCHOOL IN HOPLEY SHINES BRIGHTLY Text by Michael Nott | Photos by Fotohaus Plans and Additional Photos from studio*k
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esidents of Hopley Farm – parents, caregivers, teachers and children – all have an exciting reason to celebrate as the Rising Star Primary School was officially opened at the end of March. It’s been a lengthy journey but the results are spectacular. Hopley Farm settlement is situated on the southern edge of Harare. It was established as an informal settlement in 2005 following the government clean-up programme, Murambatsvina, and currently has a population of around 200,000. It was initially meant to offer temporary accommodation for those displaced by the clean-up programme but has become a permanent settlement – albeit largely informal. The area has very few services or facilities – in fact most of the settlement has no running
water or electricity. In 2010 a group of residents – parents and teachers – set up Rising Star Primary School for the local children, many of whom were not receiving any kind of education. Originally classes were held outdoors or set up in a number of private houses which have since been demolished to make way for the new school. City of Harare allocated the current site for the development of the new educational facility. Construction of the new school started in 2016 and the official opening was held on 31st March this year, so it’s been a long process. The classrooms and the administration offices were built in stages as funds and resources became available with the first structure consisting of two classrooms and a covered open space.
Two classrooms have been constructed each year and the school now consists of 14 classrooms – two classrooms each for Grades 1 to 7, as well as 6 classrooms for the ECD section. It now provides classrooms for around 900 children. About 25% of the children are orphans and live with relatives or friends who cannot always provide adequate access for schooling. Fees at Rising Star are very affordable and some children are admitted free of charge. It also serves as a community centre for church services and other social activities so the structure has become an important focus for the surrounding residents. It’s given the community a sense of pride and accomplishment and a more positive outlook for the future.
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