It is a Friday, and classes end at midday. But unlike before, Miriam Kaseke, a teacher at Domborinenhiwi Primary School, is in no rush to find transport home. Instead, she looks forward to hosting her family members for the weekend at the school, nestled deep in the rural eastern fringe of Mashonaland East province.

“They are comfortable coming here. It feels like home,” she said, walking toward a new grey house on the school grounds, built with support from Zimbabwe’s school improvement grant program.

The school improvement grant program is led by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and funded by GPE, with UNICEF providing technical support and managing the funds.

The program targets some of Zimbabwe’s most fragile schools, particularly in rural and farming areas, to help improve infrastructure essential for quality education.

Teaching in difficult environments

The current teacher accommodation at Domborinenhiwi Primary stands in sharp contrast to what Kaseke found when she arrived in 2019. At the time, a single, dilapidated four-roomed teachers’ house was already overcrowded, leaving her with no option but to occupy the pantry.

“A space originally meant as an indoor toilet was already taken. That tiny pantry became my kitchen, bedroom and living room all in one,” she recalled. “I couldn’t even turn around properly when sleeping. If I tried to roll over, my head would end up in a dish of water and my feet on the plates. There was no privacy, and inviting my spouse to visit was out of the question.”

The doors didn’t lock properly, and the windows barely stayed in their frames. Reptiles slipped through the leaky roof. She laughs nervously as she recalled one teacher fleeing his room in terror after a snake slithered under his blankets.

“It was impossible to get a restful night’s sleep. I constantly struggled just to feel safe,” she said. “I wanted to go home, but I was on a year-long probation and could not transfer immediately.”

From survival to stability

The poor conditions extended beyond accommodation to the teaching environment too. “It was a disaster, from teachers’ lodging to the classrooms,” said Kaseke. ”I felt drained every morning walking into school.”

One classroom block was a mud structure, while another had lost its roof to strong winds, offering little protection for teachers and students.

Without windows or doors, livestock roamed freely inside, destroying books and learning materials. Teachers were forced to deal with composite classes, turning both teaching and learning into a daily struggle.

As a result, teachers were frequently absent or rarely stayed long, forcing the school to rely on untrained community volunteers—mostly recent school leavers, said Melody Mupfudze, the acting school head.

This challenge reflects a wider regional problem.

In low- and middle-income rural schools, over half of children finish primary school unable to read or understand simple texts.

Poor working conditions are a key driver of teacher absence, the study found, while stronger parental and community engagement improves attendance and classroom presence.

Why teacher housing and classrooms matter for learning

At Domborinenhiwi Primary, the school improvement grant program is beginning to change this pattern.

“We are working to grow our teaching staff. In 2019, we had seven teachers; now only four remain, although we are getting another next term. We will still need four more. But I am confident the current teachers will stay, because conditions in the classrooms and teachers’ accommodation have improved significantly,” said Mupfudze.

She praised the GPE-supported program for transforming the school, which has been able to repair and upgrade its classroom block, purchase desks, and, with continued support, construct a new block specifically for infant students.

“That new block is the most beautiful of all,” she said, pointing proudly to a bright yellow classroom building. “We did everything—from foundation to roofing—with the grant funds. We had enough resources.”

Inspired by the changes, Kaseke chose to stay and play a key role in the school’s development. “I thought to myself, ‘I can be part of this big picture. I need to get involved.’ Since then, I have been part of the team working to make this a school other communities can look to for inspiration,” she said.

The experience has also given her practical knowledge about school construction and management.

Communities as partners in school transformation

Arriving as a newcomer in 2019, Kaseke quickly became deeply involved in the school’s transformation, becoming familiar with the “whole school” approach promoted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and UNICEF.

This approach centers on community participation, making parents, caregivers, traditional leaders, political representatives and students themselves active partners in school development to foster learning environments that are child-friendly, widely supported, and sustainable.

“The program funds gave us a huge boost, but we could not have succeeded without community help. Parents, political leaders and traditional authorities all became part of the team,” Kaseke said.

Recently, several men used wheelbarrows and shovels to transport sand for construction work. “Let’s make sure everyone is here,” urged School Development Committee chairperson Knowledge Meki. “We can’t afford to start the rainy season with this last block unfinished.”

Local councilor Christopher Machipisa was among those lending a hand. He understands the role education plays in a community where artisanal gold mining draws children—both boys and girls—into hazardous work for quick cash.

“The problems at school reflect what happens at home,” said Machipisa. “Children come to school and find no teachers. At home, they see young boys flaunting money from mining. Girls often marry the miners. But these are short-term gains. The real long-term achievements come from education.”

“That is why creating good conditions for teachers to stay is so important,” he added.

Standing alongside her colleagues, Kaseke smiled. “We’re not going anywhere—as long as this dedication continues,” she said with a laugh.