Arts advocate honoured

Faith Ndlovu

Youthful arts fanatic Happy Mpofu, who is the founder and executive director of Pumula Royal Arts and Community Awards (Praca) was amongst winners at The Promised Land Awards, which were held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) last week.

The Promised Land award celebrates outstanding contributions made by Bulawayo youths in various fields, including arts and culture, humanitarian, faith fraternity, business innovation, education and sport.
Mpofu, who is passionate about helping youths through different initiatives around the city, was recognised for his outstanding contributions for promoting arts and culture in Bulawayo.

The award he received under the arts and culture category specifically seeks to spotlight young individuals who have leveraged on arts and culture to drive social change, improving the quality of life for local residents.

Mpofu said he was overwhelmed with emotion after receiving the award and acknowledged a number of close associates who helped and encouraged him to drive social change through arts and culture.

“When I heard my name being called out, I was overwhelmed with emotion — it’s a surreal feeling knowing that my work has been recognised and appreciated by others,” he said.
Mpofu advised aspiring artistes who want to achieve in life to stay true to their passion and vision for anything is possible to be attained in life.

“The arts industry can be challenging but it’s also incredibly rewarding. To those who want to achieve, I encourage them not to be afraid to take risks, experiment and push boundaries. They should surround themselves with people who support and encourage them, and always keep learning and growing,” said Mpofu.

In his lifetime, the dreadlocked arts fanatic has received various nominations for his outstanding work with Praca, including the Afrluencer Awards and the Ignite Youth Awards under the category of Excellence in Community Service and the Ignite Youth Awards for best creative hub.

His organisation, Praca, continues to play a vital role in nurturing local talent and providing opportunities for artistes to showcase their work.