WHAT WE DO
We help children to regularly attend school and to graduate, ensuring they are prepared for a full day of learning. We support better education by providing schools with textbooks, equipment, and life skills development for students.
We achieve this through close collaboration with schools and a range of targeted initiatives.
School meals
In rural Zimbabwe, many children start their day with domestic chores, followed by long walks to school, often without breakfast or lunch. Hunger affects their development and learning.
At NoBarriers, we believe no child can learn on an empty stomach. To support their education, we deliver food staples to schools each term, allowing community volunteers to prepare daily nutritious lunches. Each year, we provide:
- 18 tonnes of maize for sadza (a staple porridge)
- 2 tonnes of beans for stew
- 450 litres of cooking oil
These meals sustain students throughout the school day and motivate them to attend. In our annual survey, over 75% of students report that school meals encourage them to come to school.
Menstrual & sexual health support
In disadvantaged communities, menstruation often hinders girls’ education. Many start puberty with little knowledge of the changes they experience. They lack proper menstrual materials and are uninformed about their Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR). This leads to missed school days, poor performance, and many girls leaving school without graduating. Without an education, their chances of securing formal jobs are slim, and low self-esteem makes them vulnerable to sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, and dependence on domestic work.
NoBarriers views menstruation as an opportunity for empowerment. Our menstrual health initiative includes:
- SRHR education workshops for all students to build knowledge and promote good practices
- Providing sustainable menstrual materials like washable pads, along with soap (boys also receive consumables to reward their participation in the workshops)
- Training girls in pad-making for lifelong self-sufficiency
- Offering start-up kits for income generation through pad-making.
The long-term impact of this initiative, run in partnership with Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe Trust, will be seen in the students’ adult lives. However, early results are promising:
- Student pregnancies at both schools have significantly decreased
- 9 out of 10 girls feel well-prepared to manage their menstruation
- 75% of boys now understand menstruation as a normal part of girls' development.
School fee support
The NoBarriers School Fee initiative supports school attendance for vulnerable children who would otherwise be unable to formally attend. Without paying fees, students cannot receive graduation certificates or recognition for their learning.
At the start of each school year, schools identify families most in need, including:
- Children living with grandparents without a steady income
- Children with parents facing severe chronic illness, mental health issues, or disabilities
- Children living alone or with siblings, without adult guardians.
This initiative covers school and exam fees until secondary education is completed. Currently, 92 students (54 girls and 38 boys) are supported.
Bicycles
In rural Zimbabwe, many children face long walks to school, with 30% walking over 6 km and 9% walking more than 10 km(one way). This often led to late arrivals, fatigue, missed school days, and poor academic performance.
To address this, we launched our Bicycle Initiative in October 2022, in partnership with World Bicycle Relief (WBR). We provided 263 sturdy Buffalo Bikes, designed for African roads, with WBR donating 95. Children who live more than 6 km from school received a bike, and families signed a pledge allowing the child to keep the bike if they complete school and take their final exams, improving attendance and graduation rates.
WBR also trained community members as bicycle mechanics to maintain and repair the bikes. Case studies show riding to school reduces travel time by 70%, giving children 3-4 extra hours daily for homework, rest, or play. Students now arrive on time, less fatigued, and perform better academically, boosting confidence and family relationships. Biking home before dark also enhances safety, with parents feeling it lowers the risk of sexual assault.
Learning & teaching support
In rural Zimbabwe, most schools lack textbooks aligned with the current syllabus, forcing teachers to conduct lessons without essential resources. This shortage severely hampers students’ ability to learn—our 2021 survey revealed that two-thirds of students wanted to study more but lacked the necessary textbooks.
TEXTBOOKS
To address this, NoBarriers launched its Learning & Teaching Support Initiative in May 2022. Schools identified textbook needs in key subjects (Math, Science, Shona, and English), and NoBarriers delivered 430 textbooks at a cost of $10,000.
While more textbooks are still needed, this initial delivery has already made a difference: by the end of 2022, three-quarters of students reported improved learning due to the availability of textbooks.
Internet connectivity & ICT equipment
Children in rural Zimbabwe face challenges not only in attending school but also in receiving quality education, as many schools lack electricity, internet access, and computers.
To equip students with the skills needed for a fulfilling life after school, we believe teachers must have access to proper lesson preparation tools and ICT equipment—common in Australian schools. Our “Sustainable Teaching, Learning and Communication Hub” project provides satellite internet, laptops, projectors, screens, soundbars, and printers, all powered by solar systems and portable batteries. This initiative has started improving education at our two partner schools.
Funded by the Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program, we and the schools are deeply grateful for this support. As funding allows, we aim to expand the IT resources. Teachers and NoBarriers are confident that this project is a catalyst for better education at these schools.
School infrastructure improvements
Over the years, school infrastructure in rural Zimbabwe has deteriorated, with crumbling classrooms, poor water supply, and collapsing toilets putting students’ health and safety at risk. Frequent and prolonged power outages further disrupt the learning environment.
At NoBarriers, we believe that decent infrastructure is essential to overcoming barriers to education and supporting student learning. We are partnering with like-minded organisations to improve school facilities and create a safer, more effective learning environment.
Solar systems & satellite internet service
The “Sustainable Teaching, Learning & Communication Hubs,” funded by a Direct Aid Program Grant from the Australian Embassy in Zimbabwe, provided more than just IT equipment. The grant also supported:
- The installation of large, battery-based solar systems to combat frequent power outages.
- Portable batteries charged by solar energy to power laptops and projectors in classrooms.
- Installation of satellite internet, essential for these remote locations with poor mobile coverage and no landlines.
Teachers, staff, and students are thrilled that the project has finally delivered the key components needed for modern teaching: reliable electricity, internet access, and IT equipment. We thank the Australian Government for their generous support.
Water systems
The Rotary Club of Norwood initiated the development of water systems at both schools, providing safe drinking water to students, teachers, and families living on campus.
Previously, students had to manually pump water from an old well, requiring several children’s effort. Now, an electric pump draws clean water from 60m-deep bores, distributing it through reticulation pipes to convenient “water stations” across the campus.
This project was funded by the Rotary Club of Norwood and a Global Grant from the Rotary Foundation, with local oversight by Rotary E-Club D9210 Harare and project management by No Barriers Education Foundation. The installation was completed in February 2023.
Toilets
At Hwata Secondary, the Rotary Club of Norwood and the Rotary Foundation funded the construction of two toilet and shower blocks.
Students now benefit from new, individual cubicle toilets with lockable doors and running water for handwashing. The girls’ section also includes a shower facility, improving menstrual hygiene.
Teachers also enjoy upgraded facilities, with a new shower and toilet block near their housing, making Hwata Secondary a more attractive workplace and contributing to improved teacher well-being and motivation.
No Barriers Education Foundation managed the construction, with oversight from Rotary E-Club D9210 Harare. We thank RC Norwood and Rotary International for making this Water & Sanitation project possible.
What we achieve
Measuring the full impact of NoBarriers’ initiatives would require long-term studies tracking students into adulthood, which is beyond our Foundation’s scope. However, we believe our work should be evidence-based. Therefore, we collect data at the school level, focusing on key outcome indicators such as student enrolment, attendance, and an annual student survey to assess progress closely related to our efforts.
Student enrolments
Since NoBarriers began its work, student enrolments at both schools have increased by 19%, growing from 529 in March 2021 (shortly before the start of the school meal initiative) to 630 by the end of Term 1, 2024. During this time, girls’ enrolment rose by 24%, and girls now represent 54% of all students across both schools.
School Attendance
School attendance rates have steadily improved, rising from 94% in early 2021 to 99% three years later.
This increase has been particularly significant for students living over 6 km from school. While their attendance used to be lower than those living closer, it is now slightly higher. This improvement is directly linked to the distribution of bikes, which began at the end of 2022.
GIRLS CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION
In 2021, over ten girls were believed to have left school due to early marriage, elopement, or pregnancy. For 2024 school year, schools reported only two girls leaving for these reasons.
In 2024, 14 girls, who in recent years stopped attending school because of pregnancy and child birth responded to outreach efforts of the school administration and returned to their schools to complete their secondary education.
Student survey – outcomes
- 75% of all students – say knowing that food is provided makes [them] want to come to school.
- 90% of all girls – feel well equipped to manage their menstruation.
- 71% of all girls – and 65% of all boys – feel they know where to go & who to ask when it comes to puberty and sexual health matters.
- 75% of all students – feel they can now study better because they have access to textbooks in key subjects.
- 78% of all students – believe school is a good place to learn, but also to have a bit of fun.
