Schools in Hwange District have received 115 bicycles and 2 332 curriculum textbooks from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) under a joint education and conservation initiative aimed at improving access to learning in wildlife-adjacent communities.
The donation was officially handed over at Hwange National Park’s Main Camp on Thursday under the “Riding for Conservation and Textbook Initiatives.”
The programme forms part of a broader Environmental Stewardship Programme targeting communities in the Hwange–Matetsi landscape, where learners often travel long distances through wildlife corridors to reach school.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, said the intervention was designed to transform both education access and community livelihoods in conservation areas.
“It gives me immense pleasure to join you today for this very important occasion marking the handover of bicycles and textbooks under the Riding for Conservation and Textbook Initiatives.
“Today’s event is about transforming lives, strengthening communities, improving educational access, and building a future where conservation and human development move hand in hand,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said the realities faced by learners in Hwange remain challenging, with many children exposed to wildlife risks during their daily journeys to school.
“Along these journeys, learners encounter elephants and other dangerous wild animals. These realities affect attendance, punctuality, concentration and ultimately academic performance,” she said.
Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director, Jabulani Mpofu, said the bicycles would significantly reduce travel burdens for learners who walk up to 15 kilometres each day to school, often leaving home before dawn. He said the intervention would have measurable impacts on education outcomes.
“This donation literally protects life while promoting learning. We project that it will reduce lateness by up to 85 percent, improve pass rates in key subjects such as Mathematics, English and General Paper, and significantly reduce dropout rates, particularly among girls,” he said.
International Fund for Animal Welfare Country Director, Alleta Nyahuye, said the initiative reflects the importance of linking conservation with community development.
She said empowered and educated learners are critical to ensuring long-term protection of wildlife ecosystems.
“Successful conservation depends on communities that see wildlife as an asset and not a threat,” she said.
The programme has now distributed 365 bicycles in total, while the latest consignment of textbooks forms part of a wider US$1.3 million education and conservation support programme in the region.
The bicycles will be managed through school-based maintenance clubs to ensure sustainability and continued benefit for learners in remote communities.
