“Tinokutendai veDelta , makatibvisa mumapango mukatiisa ma-blocks. Tinokutenda makarangarira Senya…”

These were the joyous words sung by Grade 6 learner Wellington as Senya Primary celebrated a transformation the community had long hoped for.

For many years, the people of Senya in Muzarabani lived with a painful reality: their children walked long, exhausting distances to reach schools such as Chimoio and Kairezi Central. During the rainy season, swollen rivers cut off access entirely. Children risked their safety, and many dropped out because the journey was simply too much. Chief Kasekete’s community had longed for change, and in 2011 they took the first step by creating what would later become Senya Primary School. But the beginning was far from easy.

Sabhuku Solomon Mapfura of Manzwana Village remembers those early days with emotion. “Senya Primary was formed to stop our children from suffering,” he said. “I taught from ECD to Grade 3 alone. We relied on pole-and-mud huts—sometimes we even learned under trees.”

Young ECD A learner Tinevimbo captured the children’s relief in her poem at the ceremony. “We thank you Delta Corporation for building these beautiful classrooms,” she said. “We used to be beaten by scorpions hiding in the poles. The wind would blow our books away.”

Before Senya Primary existed, many children could not attend school during the third term because the rivers flooded long before the rains fully began. Parents watched helplessly as their children lost weeks of learning.

A turning point came when Delta Corporation partnered with the Senya community to build permanent school structures. Delta funded and constructed two modern classroom blocks, ten squat-hole toilets, teachers’ furniture and new desks. Motivated parents added a 1×2 classroom block through communal labour.

Delta Corporation’s Operations Director, Tichafa Rinomhota, explained the vision behind the project. “Education is one of the most powerful pathways out of poverty,” he said. “Safe classrooms give children confidence. Supporting Senya is supporting the future.” He also confirmed Delta’s pledge to install a solar-powered borehole to address the community’s water challenges.

The transformation drew praise from national leaders. At the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of State highlighted how the development aligned with Education 5.0’s emphasis on innovation and community-based solutions. Permanent Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Moses  Mhike, added:

“Senya deserves permanent structures. In three months this school will be fully registered, and by January 2026 it will serve as a ZIMSEC examination centre.”

Senya Primary’s headmaster, Kudzanai Manyandure, expressed his gratitude and hopes for the future. “We are confident this improved environment will lift our pass rate,”  he said. “We are now beginning the process of registering the school formally, thanks to the permanent structures.”

Senya Primary now serves children from Huni, Muchenga, Mangwana, Gorobha, Chikuyo, Chinyoka, Mugugu and Mugwenhi—areas previously affected by long distances, high dropout rates and delayed enrolment. For many families, the new school marks the end of years of sacrificing safety, time and opportunity.

In true cultural tradition, the Senya community expressed their gratitude by gifting goats to Delta Corporation, the Ministry, the Chief and the Provincial leadership. One parent remarked proudly, “This is our way of saying thank you. You have changed our children’s lives.”

As the celebration drew to a close, Wellington once again raised his voice in song, his tune echoing the renewed spirit of the community.

“Tinokutendai veDelta… makarangarira Senya…”

It was more than a song it was a celebration of unity, a declaration of hope and a reminder that when communities and partners come together, even the most remote village can rise into a place of opportunity and promise.