Gorongosa National Park (PNG), in the Central Mozambican province of Sofala, has pledged to provide US $15m for the construction and furnishing of 40 new primary schools and associated facilities such as housing for teachers, water supply, school toilets and libraries, over the next five years.
The Ministry of Education and the PNG have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that allows PNG to support the Ministry through ensuring access to education by the six communities in the park’s buffer zone. The MoU, signed by Education Minister Carmelita Namashulua and the Gorongosa Programme Chairperson, Gregory Carr, also covers the implementation of programmes intended to improve not only school access, especially for girls, but also learning quality as well as the strengthening of institutional capacity.
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Creating learning opportunities
According to Minister Namashulua the main objective of the MoU is not only to create and expand learning opportunities, but also to ensure access to schools and the retention of pupils, particularly girls, in the communities of the park’s buffer zone districts of Cheringoma, Dondo, Gorongosa, Nhamatanda, Maringue and Muanza.
“The MoU results from the growing awareness about the pivotal role education has to play, not only in the progress of a society, but also in building an even more enlightened nation. We are happy with the programmes envisaged, especially because they place girls in the limelight,” she added.
The rules and standards include technical specifications for resilience to tropical cyclones, drought, and earthquakes, and management of the Covid-19 respiratory disease.
