
A rural community gathering in Chiredzi South District, Zimbabwe. Image Source: Nowell Chidakwa
The current study sought to identify strategies that rural communities can utilise as tools to enhance resilience among rural youths not attending tertiary education. Its findings will assist the MoPSE in Zimbabwe to formulate policies and strategies that promote resilience among all rural youths, especially those in rural communities. The proposed collaborative framework is hoped to be relevant to other contexts. The findings will also benefit education administrators by identifying ways to work with parents, rural youths, tertiary institutions, and other education stakeholders in Zimbabwe in assisting rural youths to attain tertiary education. Such collaboration has been found to enhance rural youth motivation and improve their enrolment in institutions of higher learning, and thus promoting resilience (Mhongera & Lombard, 2020; Theron & Van Breda, 2021).
This study will add to the body of knowledge on a collaborative framework in education in rural communities. Furthermore, this study will contribute to the literature on resilience of rural youths to attain tertiary education, living again in rural contexts. It will also make a unique contribution by integrating three concepts, namely, rural experiences, a collaborative framework and resilience.