Lack of science laboratories and qualified teachers for STEM subjects has detrimental effects on student's academic and professional prospects. Image by Binga Government High School, December 2022

Students in Matabeleland North are struggling to access the Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program, as the government suspended it in 2018 and focused on funding university students. This has dire consequences on their academic science and technology careers.

This story is part of a reporting series supported by the Pulitzer Centre.

BY LIZWE SEBATA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 27, 2023

Women in rural communities' lack of access to health care facilities has encouraged them to form health programs such as Netball. Image by Sportsmatik

Compared to women in urban areas, women in rural communities have less access to health care and healthy food, a situation which has motivated them to come up with community health programs like netball.

BY MELODY MPANDE | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 24, 2023

Careless depositing of hot residue around Collen Bawn mine puts lives in danger. Image by allAfrica

In Gwanda, residents, particularly children, and livestock are at risk of falling into hot residue carelessly deposited around Colleen Bawn mine.

BY MELODY MPANDE | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 24, 2023

70 years later, Mawanke Primary School in Gwanda still battles with water shortages. Image by Unsplash

Seventy-years after Mawanke Primary School in Gwanda first opened its doors to the public, teachers and pupils at the public school bear the brunt of ongoing water challenges.
 
BY MELODY MPANDE | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 24, 2023

Children learning in a crowded classroom at Makwika Primary School in Hwange. Image by Calvin Manika, March 2023

In Hwange, a small coal mining town in Matabeleland North, children growing in the same community are exposed to different educational circumstances—one with endless opportunities and the other with none.

This story is part of a reporting series supported by the Pulitzer Centre.

BY CALVIN MANIKA | @The_CBNews | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | MAR 23, 2023