Text messaging to the rescue

London based Connection Software offers a communication link between parents and schools of rural Zimbabwe.

The problem

With an almost extinct postal service, rural Chikomba District in Zimbabwe is rapidly languishing into remoteness. For the past two years, its postal communication system has worked on and off leaving farmers, schools and local businesses with an unreliable service.

One of the local boarding schools, Assisi High School, found it very difficult to communicate with parents on very important issues like school development, fees and most importantly student progress. Communication with suppliers has been a big problem as the main telephone line has been down for more than a year and there are no signs of it getting fixed any time soon.

The Solution

Text messaging! Connection Software has offered Educated Horizon a chance to bridge this communication gap between schools like Assisi and the respective parents by Text at no charge to the school! Now the school can pass on information to parents and suppliers in a few but very effective sentences.

Assisi High was quick to capitalise on this resource when it held its first school term consultation and general meeting. The invitations were sent out in time and almost all parents attended the function to the amazement of the deputy Headmaster,

"This facility could not have come at a better time and I'm very happy almost all parents managed to attend even in these harsh economic times. It's an opportunity for us to raise very important issues that have been slowing the progress of both the students and the school as a whole. Last year, only just over a 100 parents attended this very function but today, I have greeted over 400 of them."

Mr Mangara

Educated Horizon

We are very pleased to be working with Connection Software on this wonderful project and we hope to roll it out to other remote schools in the district. The provision of such simple infrastructure is the way forward in reducing unnecessary burdens on schools that are already facing critical educational resources like books and teachers.

"Our special thanks go to John Coll, the Managing Director of Connection Software who has worked tirelessly to bring this service into operation."