By Prince Njagu

Herentals Mabvuku privately operated college in Harare has proven to be critical in advancing education for the girl child.

According to Herentals Mabvuku College; 52% of the institutions enrolments are female students who would have either failed their first time examination sittings or would have been forced to drop out of school due to teenage pregnancy or non-availability of school fees.

An official from Herentals Mabvuku College, Mrs Chenai said the institution is playing a pivotal role in empowering the girl child in Zimbabwe.

“We are an institution that strives to empower the girl child, we do not take into consideration one’s past history because our aim is to afford female students the power to exercise their right to education.

“We even offer admittance to married young girls,” said Mrs Chenai.

She added that at all Herentals’ 11 colleges, girls as old as 21 are given an opportunity to undertake their ordinary level studies.

“This is a way of empowering the girl child, our main goal is to see to it that the girl child and the elderly female students have access to basic education,” she added.

Programs are designed in such a way that they encompass all the students at the institution regardless of age or gender.

“We offer technical and professional courses which are basically meant to incorporate the female students,” said Chenai.

A student at Hitma College in Harare Ruramayi Chinyoko who was offered a form five place praised the institution for affording her an opportunity to be at school again.

“I am a teen mum who was so fortunate enough to have been offered a form 5 place at this institution after my ordinary level grades were not that pleasing.  I was offered admittance at this institution,” said Chinyoko.

The college also encourages female students who intend to go for Advanced levels studies to take up, the once presumed  “male” challenging science subjects.