EU helping emaSwati children to dream again, reshape their future
The two-year project, implemented by UNICEF and other partners in several other schools located in four constituencies in the Manzini region, is also reaching out to pregnant adolescents and adolescent parents, adolescent boys and adolescents with disabilities who dropped out of school to go back to class.
Overall, the projects seeks to reintegrate more than 200 needy pupils, in the targeted schools, who have dropped out of school either due to pregnancy or loss of parents/guardians as a result of COVID-19. At Emthonjeni High School alone, so far 10 pupils, who had dropped out of school as a result of a myriad challenges at home including lack of financial support, are already back in class and reshaping their future, thanks to the project.
“We are supporting this project because it aligns with EU values. It is very important for pregnant girls and other vulnerable children to come back to school to continue with their education. This is all about transforming education and helping these pupils to dream again and reshape their future,” said EU Ambassador Choumelova.
Emthonjeni High principal, Thokozile Dlamini, paid tribute to the EU for its support, saying the project has reached out to very needy children who had dropped out of school but are now back in class.
“Many of our pupils are facing serious challenges at home including lack of money to continue with education. That is why some of them have even dropped out of school. But thanks to the EU support, we have been able to bring these pupils, who would otherwise be at home, back to class,” Dlamini said. The principal herself has also played a role in ensuring that pupils from poor backgrounds do remain in class despite their parents not paying school fees.
The visit also took the Ambassador to Baylor Clinic in Mbabane where she was shown how an ECHO-funded project was increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake and caring for children and adolescents living with HIV. In both centres, EU support was well appreciated by the beneficiaries.
