The future of the Basic Education Assistance Module, a poverty alleviation strategy in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The aim of this article is to give an insight into the future of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) by highlighting the problems faced in its implementation and mapping the way forward for the programme to be a success. Through a review of scholarly literature, an overview of the concept of 'beneficiary participation' which is the fundamental aspect of BEAM is given, and through interviews and focus group discussions, an assessment of the effectiveness of the BEAM programme is made. This article has shown that the implementation of BEAM is plagued with a plethora of problems. For BEAM to be effective, all stakeholders, that is the school authorities, teachers, parents and guardians, community members as well as the government have a significant role to play.