- 5kVA Solar Power and Starlink Connectivity just installed to St Francis Xavier Primary School in Dete, Matebeleland North province,
- The Bank recently unveiled USD8.7 million solar and Starlink funding for the education sector.
- Over 20 schools have already benefited.
Dete, Hwange, Matebeleland North Province, 23 January 2026… The People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) is boosting rural schools with solar energy and high-speed internet after handing over a 5kVA solar power system and a Starlink connectivity kit to St Francis Xavier Primary School in Dete, Matabeleland North Province, fulfilling a pledge made at the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) Conference held in Kariba in November 2025.
St Francis Xavier, which is run by the Catholic Church, won the equipment through a raffle draw held at the conference, where schools entered their names to stand a chance to win. The solar system and Starlink kit have already been installed at the school, with teachers and pupils now benefiting from reliable solar power and internet connectivity.
Speaking, during the handover ceremony, POSB said the initiative is part of the bank’s commitment to giving back to communities and supporting education, particularly rural and marginalized schools. The solar power will help the school during power cuts, while the internet connection will improve access to online learning, research and information.
The handover event was attended by various stakeholders, including school heads from nearby schools, church leaders, education officers from the district and province, local government representatives and community leaders.
Importantly, POSB said the initiative also ties in with the Bank’s Strategic Transformation Programme (TSP), which aims to transform the Bank into a digital and Ai-powered bank, focusing on customer needs and prioritises education, financial inclusion and sustainable inclusive development.
Through practical support like solar power and internet connectivity, POSB is working to close infrastructure gaps that often disadvantage rural schools, while showing real results from its transformation agenda.
In a speech read on his behalf, POSB’s Chief Executive officer Mr Garainashe Changunda, said the bank wants to support learners and teachers, especially in remote and marginalized areas.
“We want schools to have the basics they need to teach and learn properly. With solar power and internet at St Francis Xavier, pupils and teachers can now do more, even when they are based in rural areas,” Changunda said, “Where there power and internet connectivity, even financial inclusion improves as communities can access services such as digital banking.”
“In Support of NDS2, we announced USD8.7 million facility in October 2025, to help bring power and internet to schools, especially in rural areas over the next three years, so that no learner or place is left behind in line with the country’s vison 2030 agenda, which aims to establish an upper middle-income society by 2030,” he added.
Beyond the NAPH conference raffle, POSB has recently installed 5kVA solar systems at seven other schools across the country free of charge, as part of the bank’s ongoing corporate social responsibility. The beneficiaries are Kamwa, Masemo and Kahobo Secondary Schools in Gokwe; Birirano Primary and Chipinda Secondary schools in Chipinge; Avoca Primary school in Bindura; and Siganda Primary School in Bubi District, Matabeleland North. More than 20 schools have already benefited from the POSB Solar and Starlink funding.
Mr Changunda said that POSB will continue to support schools and communities by helping to improve learning facilities, widen digital access and promote clean energy solutions in line with the Bank’s strategic transformation.
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