‘Let’s help develop our former schools’

Mr Chenana poses for a photo with some of the learners after he presented his donation

THE country’s growth trajectory must be supported by the school system to ensure sustainable development and prevent a reversal of the gains made thus far in the Second Republic.

This was said by the ruling party’s Mashonaland East secretary for education and businessman, Mr Tawanda Chenana, during presentation of a donation comprising an assortment of learning materials to Jekwa Primary School in Murewa.

The businessman and philanthropist reckons schoolgoing children must be part of the overall development agenda.

A former student of Jekwa Primary and Secondary schools, Mr Chenana donated laptops, exercise books, printers, pencils and pens, school uniforms and stockings, as well as shoes.

“As learners, we face different challenges due to financial constraints.

“However, we thank kind-hearted people like Mr Chenana who spare a thought for us. It is through their generosity that some of us are going to realise our dreams,” said one of the Jekwa Primary School learners.

The community also applauded the noble gesture. “It is encouraging to see former learners remembering their roots. We call upon other former learners to emulate such initiatives.

“This is the easiest and fastest way of further developing our education system throughout the country,” said Ms Polite Mutezo, a villager.

Mr Chenana said supporting schools, especially in the so-called marginalised areas, shows that President Mnangagwa’s call to “leave no place and no one behind” is being heeded.

“To achieve Vision 2030 of an upper middle-income economy, it is critical that our education speaks to the national vision, particularly the nation’s development blueprints, right from the ECD (early childhood development) level up to our tertiary institutions,” he said.

“I have not forgotten the days I went to school shoeless and how we struggled to acquire basic things such as pencils and exercise books. It is incumbent on us, individuals, and not just the Government, to assist, especially our former schools that empowered us to be who we are today.”

The philanthropist said he had donated exercise books imprinted “Brick by Brick” in a bid to help inculcate the philosophy of “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/ilizwe lakhiwa ngabanikazi balo” spirit in learners.

“Our children should not be left behind in the development agenda. Today’s children are tomorrow’s adults; thus we might as well catch them young. It has been said that it is better to build children than repair grown men or women,” he said.

“Children should not just pursue good grades but also understand what it means to be patriotic. Already, Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates, thus it is time we stop the ‘qualification’ race devoid of meaningful life and national objectives.”

The education sector, he noted, is key in the development agenda.

“Our education has to be more meaningful.

“The education sector must respond to the needs of the people, directed by our philosophy.

“A people’s philosophy directs the people’s worldview and must be inculcated from a tender age.

“Being educated should mean being and living as a better Zimbabwean, and being a better Zimbabwean in practical terms means being an engineer, driver, pilot, teacher, whatever, who serves Zimbabwe and Africa and Africans because he or she has Zimbabwe, Africa and Africans at heart,” said Mr Chenana.

He noted the work of nation building requires all hands on deck.

“From ECD right up to tertiary education, our children should know that they must build their country. We have rekindled the Zimbabwean spirit, and have restored confidence in ourselves. I implore our youths to have a strong sense of purpose.

“We cannot afford to be a people who, due to lack of understanding and appreciation of who we are and where we are going, derail black empowerment and development programmes we are presently experiencing and being called to fully support by making our individual contributions.”

He added that it was not the sole responsibility of Government to revamp various institutions.

“We are not yet out of the woods; the nation continues to grapple with various challenges, mostly induced by the illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West. Ways of realising our set developmental targets are already in place.

“The foundation has been set and what is required of us is to continue building on the successes achieved thus far at every level and individual capacity,” said Mr Chenana.

It is imperative, he added, for youths to know that they are the ultimate determinants of their fate.

He said supporting schools with various materials, as well as new infrastructure, will also go a long way in curbing the drug scourge.

“The Second Republic has revamped our education sector by introducing Education 5.0. No longer should our educational institutions just produce ‘fitters’ and not ‘creators’.

“It is no longer tenable that we just remain mere consumers of technology created by other nations and yet we boast having the highest literacy level in Africa.

“Our education system must adopt a practical approach positioned to solve critical contemporary societal and national challenges,” he said.