adminMunyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
Over 1 000 pupils from Mapiravana and Chizhou primary and secondary schools in Chirumhanzu on Saturday received sanitary wear, uniforms, shoes, stationary and other learning material from Community Builders Initiative. Community Builders Initiative is an organisation of young professionals who hail from Chirumhanzu, that mobilise resources to assist schools and less privileged pupils in the district as a way of giving back to the community.
South African based Lawyer, Ms Tarisai Muvuti, who owns a clearing agent, donated sanitary wear, school shoes, stationary and other learning material to the pupils.
Ms Muvuti who is a product of Mapiravana Primary School also pledged to pay school fees for form three pupils, who are going to excel in their end of year examination, for the whole year.
In an interview on the sidelines of the handover ceremony, Ms Muvuti said it was incumbent upon all Zimbabweans to plough back to the community and develop their rural communities.
She said she decided to invest in education as it was the best form of empowerment that the less privileged children can get and help extricate themselves from abject poverty.
“I grew up in Chirumhanzu and sometimes we would go to school bare footed. I look back with nostalgia because it helped me to become what I am today.
“As a woman who knows the plight of the less privileged young girls, I decided to give back to the community and help these children realise their dreams. Given the opportunity and resources permitting we would want to do this to other less privileged children in other parts of the country. We should complement Government efforts in developing our communities,” she said.
Young professionals also converged at Mapiravana Primary and Secondary Schools in Chirumhanzu where they offered career guidance to pupils and donated various learning materials.
According to one of the professionals, Mr Louis Chihata, a Radiographer in Bulawayo, the programme involved career guidance and motivational talk to inspire and assist in shaping the future of young kids in the area.
“It is our obligation to give back to the society that nurtured us. We are what we are because someone guided us in our career.
“Voluntarily giving back will develop our native societies to be better places that we wish them to be.
“The advancement of technologies have seen the world becoming a global village, which has however led to an enclave development. This has led to the widening of the gap between rural and urban pupils in modern day career choices,” he said.
Mr Chihata said the initiative was open to all who feel they can play a part in impacting the society positively.
Some of the donated learning materials were sourced from National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and individuals.
Online Reporter