Mutoko- In a small, bustling town nestled between rolling hills in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe, the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) was supposed to be a beacon of hope for the less priviledged—a promise that no child, no matter their circumstances, would not be academically left behind. 

But for many, especially those already burdened by society’s prejudices and politically motivated exclusion, BEAM had become just another reminder of how deeply corruption could wound the most vulnerable.  

Among those struggling to pay her children’s fees was *Mai Takavarasha*, a mother of four. Her youngest, *Tendai*, was a bright-eyed boy with a love for numbers and stories. His condition, that of having  cerebral palsy made walking difficult, and the world seemed determined to make everything else harder too.  

Mai Takavarasha had heard stories—whispers of parents paying bribes to secure BEAM funds, of officials favoring those who “looked the part” of poverty. Still, she clung to hope.

One morning, she dressed Tendai in his best shirt, combed his hair, and carried him on her back to the nearest school administration office.  

The administrator, *Mr. Matsonya*, barely glanced at Tendai’s file before sighing. 

“Maam,” he said, eyes skimming her neat but faded dress, “You don’t *look* like you need this assistance. Some parents are truly desperate.”  

Her hands clenched while holding her son on her laps. Mai Takavarasha, with tears swelling in her eyes said: “I am desperate and so is my son. He deserves an education just like any other child.”  

Mr. Matsonya leaned back, unimpressed. “The process is competitive. Perhaps if you could… *contribute* to the school’s needs, we could prioritize him.”  

The words hung in the air—a thinly veiled demand for a bribe which Mai Takavarasha could not afford. She left with a hollow heart, Tendai silent on her back.  

At home, her son withdrew further. He stopped asking when he could join his friends in school. Instead, he spent hours staring at the door, as if willing an opportunity to walk through it.  

Months passed. Other children—healthy, “deserving” children—received BEAM support. Meanwhile, Mai Takavarasha sold her last chicken to pay for a private tutor, knowing it wouldn’t be enough.  

One evening, as she helped Tendai into bed, he whispered, “Mama, do people think I’m a waste?”  

Her breath caught. “Not at all my son. The world is wasting you.”  

But the words felt empty. Corruption had stolen more than money—it had stolen dignity, hope, and the belief that a child like Tendai mattered.  

And in the darkness, Mai Takavarasha sobbed as she wondered if the country”s education system would ever see her son as anything but a burden.  

Corruption barriers

According to a report by the UNICEF, around 26 percent of people with disabilities have limited or no access to social welfare programmes. Critical services such and education, health, rehabilitation, social and child protection are hard to come by. UNICEF also reported  that in Zimbabwe, it is a challenge to access current and definite comprehensive incidence and prevalence statistics of Children with Disabilities.

A report by the Transparency International Zimbabwe (TiZ)  titled “ Access Denied: Corruption and Inequality in Zimbabwe’s Service Delivery” confirms that the real cost of the BEAM corruption is multifaceted but children with disabilities bear the biggest burden. 

Established in 2021, the BEAM is a social welfare programme introduced by Zimbabwe’s government as part of its Enhanced Social Protection Programme.

The programme, which aims at supporting children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to access primary and secondary education, and to prevent early dropouts, enables these eligible learners get financial assistance for their fees and levies.

However, over the years, BEAM has  faced challenges including delays in the disbursement of funds. A teacher’s union is on record labelling the programme “a breeding ground for corruption.”

According to the TIZ case study, which explores corruption in the implementation of BEAM and its impacts on children with disabilities, some parents and caregivers explained that the situation had led their child to lose their self-esteem and become reclusive after failing to access BEAM on the same basis as their counterparts. 

“These parents and caregivers said that children with disabilities applying to BEAM typically enter the education system much later than others, as a consequence of corruption and discrimination in the programme,” read the report.

One study suggested that children with disabilities may face additional challenges accessing BEAM because “society has negative attitudes towards these children and may consider registering them for BEAM as wasting resources”. They confessed that they are forced to appear in a certain way to qualify for BEAM because they are judged by their looks.

Complaints manual

Despite these anomalies, the BEAM Operational Manual provides for  the Grievance Handling Committees (GHC) in each community which is tasked with handling complaints, as well as providing a dedicated whistleblowing facility, which requires that all complaints are thoroughly investigated.

But, many parents told TI Z that they do not know where to report their experiences of corruption, indicating that existing awareness-raising and public education campaigns are not working as envisaged by the manual. 

They added that the local Social Welfare offices tend to allocate the responsibility of responding to citizens’queries to interns, despite their lack of training and experience. Besides these challenges, the buildings are often not fully accessible to persons with disabilities. 

Read the report: 

“A lack of sign language skills among staff members exacerbates the challenges experienced by those with hearing challenges.”

Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson, Taungana Ndoro is on record saying that it is illegal to corruptly allocate BEAM status to learners and school authorities engaging in such actions risked suspension, disciplinary action or legal prosecution as outlined in the Education Act and BEAM Operational guidelines. 

Government has taken several policy measures designed to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Section 56 of the Constitution guarantees the right of everyone to equality before the law, and to freedom from discrimination, including on the basis of their disabilities status.The Constitution also compels the state to take proactive steps to fulfil the rights of persons with disabilities.

In 2020, the Education Act was amended, to “mandate inclusive education for all learners including children with disabilities”.

In a political declaration made during the 2021 Special Session of the General Assembly against Corruption, Member States of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Zimbabwe included, expressed concern on the negative impact that all forms of corruption have on public service delivery, the ripple effects which mostly affect “the most disadvantaged individuals in society.” 

However, the Human Rights Council has issued a series of resolutions that consider the impacts of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights, universal access to education included.

Zimbabwe signed the UNCAC on February 20 2004 and ratified it on March 8 2007. The Convention became operational on April 7 2007. 

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