College re-emerges from Cyclone Idai rubbles
EIGHT months after the painful loss of lives and wanton destruction of schools, houses and other infrastructure, serious reconstruction and fresh construction of buildings and institutions are underway in Cyclone Idai affected areas.
One of these is the ground breaking ceremony of the St Charles College project recently held in situ in Chief Mutambara’s village of Ruwaka, east of Nhedziwa in Chimanimani.
More than one thousand people, most of them excited villagers, turned out to witness the ground breaking ceremony.
Present at the ceremony were high ranking Primary and Secondary Education officials led by the Permanent Secretary and Provincial Education Director Edward Shumba.
Executive business representatives of various corporate companies also attended the ground breaking pledging full support for the St Charles Lwanga College project.
Companies like Econet, Better Bricks, Bere Brothers and Associates (Legal), Nedbank and Nyaradzo Funeral Association to mention only a few, were conspicuously present.
The presence of all these service providers and corporate entities visibly illustrates the continued appreciation and understanding of the Zimbabwean community at large towards humanitarian aid and emergency relief by Zimbabwean people themselves and their donor friends and partners.
Living up to the maxim of action and not empty support rhetoric, the Chinese Embassy represented by Ms Guo and accompanying Chinese embassy official, pledged US$5 000 towards the construction of the new college.
Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary, Tumisang Thabela, pledged $100 000 (RTGS one hundred thousand dollars) towards the building of the same.
Speaker after speaker at the ground breaking ceremony echoed bravery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mutare, not only to resist a complete fall but its ability to rise again and mock despair and despondency ... to stand up again and build newer, better, bigger and wiser ideas of development.
All the speakers were aware that the accomplishment of this Catholic initiative would not have been possible without the support or courtesy of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
The Permanent Secretary urged Embassies, NGO’s, Corporate Businesses and individuals to support the church in realising college project. She revealed that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had journeyed with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mutare since Cyclone Idai struck St Charles Lwanga in March.
“Together, we resolved to close the school in order to concentrate on evacuation of learners who were marooned at the school for three days in very adverse conditions,” she said.
“We are (today) here to mark the beginning of St Charles Lwanga College. This is a new school in addition to St Charles Lwanga
Secondary School.
As a Ministry, we highly appreciate this project and applaud the Diocese of Mutare for taking up this bold initiative and upholding its mission to collaborate with government on education provision.”
The perm-sec added that pursuant to the Cyclone Idai ravages, her ministry strongly required responsible authorities (schools) to work closely with its officials and Ministry of Local Government , Public Works and National Housing at every stage of construction in order to come up with durable and safe buildings.
Visibly ecstatic villagers whose children would access education at the new college were urged not to be lazy bystanders or observers.
They were urged to contribute whatever they can in the form of skills or labour as this project takes off.
They were also reminded that they are the biggest beneficiary at the end of all this wonderful work; not the Church and not the Government.
Representatives of the Chinese Embassy, local business companies like Nyaradzo Funeral Association, Better Bricks, Nedbank, Econet, to mention only a few, demonstrated by their presence and expression their zeal and commitment to support this project aimed at building a better, stronger and wiser community.
The Minister of State for Manicaland Affairs, Honourable Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba (Sen) was represented by her office director, Mr Bhasopo, who planted a tree at the new college site on behalf of the Minister. Chief Mutambara, Ms Guo (Chinese Embassy) and the perm-sec, also planted trees at the college site.