The first rays of sunlight creep over the rolling hills of Selous in Chegutu District, illuminating dusty footpaths that weave through scattered homesteads and patches of thick woodland. As roosters crow and villagers begin their daily routines, groups of schoolchildren dressed in faded uniforms make their way towards school. Their laughter carries through the morning air, mingling with the sounds of cattle bells and birdsong.
Standing quietly outside her family’s small homestead, 18-year-old Miriam Pepukai (not her real name) watches them pass. Only a year ago, she was one of them.
Today, she cradles a seven-month-old baby in her arms.
The schoolbooks she once treasured have been replaced by nappies, feeding bottles and the endless responsibilities of motherhood. Her dream of completing her Ordinary Level studies and pursuing a career has been interrupted by a reality she never imagined she would face so soon.
“I was fooled,” she says softly, her eyes fixed on the horizon. “Now I am afraid to raise this child alone.”
As she speaks, her voice trembles. Tears gather in her eyes but she quickly wipes them away. The pain remains visible.
For Pepukai, pregnancy was not merely the consequence of youthful mistakes. It was the culmination of a series of hardships that had been building for years, poverty, hunger, lack of school fees, and the growing influence of artisanal mining activities that have transformed communities across Chegutu District.
Chegutu has become one of Zimbabwe’s most active artisanal mining areas. Across the district, thousands of informal gold miners, popularly known as Makorokoza, search for precious minerals in abandoned shafts, riverbanks and open pits. While mining has become a source of income for many households struggling in a difficult economy, it has also created a social crisis that is increasingly affecting young girls.
Many teenage girls find themselves drawn into relationships with miners who appear financially secure compared to their own families. For girls from impoverished households, a few dollars for food, school fees or basic necessities can seem like a lifeline.
“We fell in love with artisanal miners because they gave us money,” Pepukai explains. “My parents could not always afford school fees. Many times I was sent away from school because fees had not been paid. Sometimes we could not even have enough food at home. Paying school fees was a burden for my parents.”
Her story is painfully familiar across many communities in Mashonaland West.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s 2025 Statistics Report, Zimbabwe recorded 26,704 secondary school dropouts during the year. Of these, 15,476 were girls, representing nearly 58 percent of all secondary school dropouts. Financial constraints accounted for the largest share of learners leaving school, affecting 9,974 pupils or 37.35 percent of all dropouts. Marriage accounted for 3,917 dropouts while pregnancy contributed 2,433 cases, demonstrating how adolescent girls continue to bear the greatest burden of educational exclusion.
Table 1: Secondary School Dropouts by Reasons, Number and Percentage, Zimbabwe, 2025
Behind every statistic lies a story like Pepukai’s.
After discovering she was pregnant, the stigma became almost impossible to bear. Returning to school meant enduring whispers from classmates, judgmental stares from community members and the constant feeling that she no longer belonged.
“I tried to continue,” she says. “But everyone knew. People talked about me. I became ashamed.”
Eventually, she stopped attending classes altogether.
Her dreams of becoming an independent woman slowly slipped away.
The crisis extends far beyond one young mother.
Across Mashonaland West Province, teenage pregnancies have become alarmingly common. Provincial health records indicate that more than 1,000 teenagers fell pregnant across the province, highlighting the magnitude of a problem that continues to undermine efforts to improve educational outcomes and reduce poverty.
Teachers working in schools throughout the province witness the consequences firsthand.
Spiwe Nyati, a Guidance and Counselling teacher at Saruwe Secondary School, says pregnancies and child marriages remain among the leading reasons girls abandon their education.
“Female students continue to drop out of school because of pregnancy and early child marriages,” she says.
“We are trying by all means to educate the girl child on what is important, but many continue to fall into the same trap.”
Despite these challenges, Nyati believes education should remain accessible to every learner regardless of circumstance.
“Even after they fall pregnant, we encourage them to come back to school. Pregnancy should not be a barrier to education.”
Yet returning to school is often easier said than done.
For many girls, motherhood brings financial responsibilities that make education difficult. Others face pressure from families or partners to focus on raising children. Some simply lose confidence after experiencing stigma and discrimination.
Distance also plays a significant role in driving children out of school.
Table 2: Schools by Level of Education, Location (Rural and Urban) and Province, Number and Percentage, Zimbabwe, 2025
Many communities in Mashonaland West remain largely rural. Education statistics show that more than 73 percent of primary schools in the province are located in rural areas, while over 72 percent of secondary schools also serve rural communities. Although these schools provide critical access to education, learners often travel long distances to reach them.
For girls, those journeys can be dangerous.
Pepukai remembers waking before sunrise every morning to begin the long walk to school.
“We wake up very early,” she says. “I could not walk alone because we passed through forests. Many things happen there, including rape.”
She pauses before continuing.
“If my friends left before me, I would not go to school that day because I was afraid.”
In many rural communities, fears of sexual violence, harassment and exploitation are a daily reality. Parents worry about the safety of their daughters travelling through isolated areas, while girls themselves face risks that can have life-altering consequences.
Rick3211 / June 3, 2026
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