Challenges Faced by Orphaned Learners in Rural Primary Schools in Hurungwe District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

In Zimbabwe, economic hardship and family breakdown have stripped primary-school orphans of their traditional safety nets. Their vulnerability extends far beyond material lack into the realm of profound emotional isolation. They face daily bullying and stigmatisation at school. Many attend classes without fees, uniforms, or food. This neglect fractures both their academic performance and their psychological health. This qualitative phenomenological study explored these lived experiences through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Participants comprised six Guidance and Counselling teachers and twelve orphaned learners, purposively sampled from three primary schools in Hurungwe District. Findings confirmed that orphaned learners face a devastating convergence of psychosocial exclusion, material deprivation, and poor educational attainment. In response, this study recommends strengthening school-based counselling to help learners process grief and build resilience to discrimination. It goes further by calling for the deliberate establishment and reinforcement of community-based support groups, such as neighbourhood care networks and local faith-based circles. These structures can offer consistent mentorship, tangible material assistance, and peer-to-peer emotional solidarity.