A New Flow of Opportunity at Nerutanga Primary

By Ronald Magweta (Communications Officer)

At Nerutanga Primary School in Buhera West Operational Area, access to water was once a daily struggle. Learners walked more than a kilometre to fetch water for drinking and cleaning toilets — time lost from lessons, and water that was often unsafe.

Today, that reality has changed.

With support from World Vision South Korea, World Vision Zimbabwe installed a piped water scheme at the school, bringing clean and reliable water directly to the learners. (A similar piped water scheme was also installed at nearby Nerutanga High School, further strengthening access to safe water in the area.) The primary school, which has an enrolment of 948 learners — 439 boys and 545 girls — now has safe water points and functional handwashing facilities that are improving hygiene and safeguarding children’s health.

“For us, water was a challenge,” recalls a Grade 7 learner. 

“We used to fetch water from a nearby well and it was not very clean. Sometimes lessons were disturbed because we had to travel to get drinking water and water for cleaning our toilets.”

Now, learners use clean water for drinking, washing hands, gardening, watering flowers and maintaining sanitation facilities. 

“I would like to thank World Vision for their support,” another Grade 7 pupil says. 

“It has contributed to good health in our school — we are now regularly washing our hands.”

The benefits extend beyond the school grounds. More than 30 households in the surrounding community are also accessing water from the scheme, using it for household needs and nutrition gardens. The reliable water supply is strengthening the school feeding programme, ensuring meals can be prepared consistently for all learners.

Liberty Muchineripi, Chairperson of the School Development Committee (SDC), says the impact goes beyond water access. 

“I would like to thank World Vision for what they are doing for our school. The piped water they assisted us with has enabled us to start new projects that benefit the school itself. We do not want to entirely depend on handouts.”

In addition to water and hygiene improvements, World Vision Zimbabwe refurbished two classroom blocks, transforming them into modern, child-friendly learning spaces, and furnished them with new desks and furniture. 

According to Mrs. Zimuto, the School Head, these improvements are already making a difference. 

“Because of the classroom blocks and water at the school, there has been an increase in enrolment. Children are being attracted by the classrooms, which are now very child-friendly.”

Through Gift-in-Kind support, the school also received eight bicycles, stationery supplies, and 208 satchels for learners — restoring dignity and boosting children’s confidence, particularly those from vulnerable households.

At Nerutanga Primary School, clean water now flows where there was once scarcity. Classrooms that once struggled with interruptions are now spaces of focused learning. With improved infrastructure, hygiene, and learning materials, children are healthier, more confident, and better positioned to succeed — proof that integrated investments in water, sanitation and education can transform not only a school, but an entire community.