adminThe academy made history during the Culture Week by initiating the inaugural Harare Provincial Culture Day celebrations a fortnight ago. The celebrations were held in conjunction with National Carnival Week that also celebrated the country’s diverse culture.
Traditional music, dance, fashion shows, food presentation, poetry and exhibitions were the order of the day. Schools from the low-, medium- and high-density areas battled it out to emerge the best from the rest.
Its director and founder, Jones Nyamupachitu, had this to say:
“We are proud to be associated with such a programme that brought together schools from all parts of Harare. By this, we hope to make a statement and entrust the young people to appreciate their native culture,” he said.
Although the programme had initially been meant to be on a small scale, courtesy of the academy’s travel and tourism department, the national arts body saw the need to open the celebrations for the rest of the community.
“Of the 17 schools that participated in the celebrations, Futures Academy managed to scoop a number of prizes in the form of shields and certificates. With the approval of the directorate at the National Arts Council and the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture,” he said.
The icing on the cake for the academy was the victory for the overall secondary school culture presentation and best cultural song, while most of the students outshone other schools by scooping the most prizes in the various categories.
The director also applauded the involvement of the corporate sector, among them Ecobank and Jonpris Foundation, for making the memorable event possible.
He, however, highlighted that such participation was essential to sustain the Harare Culture Day celebrations for years to come.
“Although the academy financed some of the prizes through providing shields, some of the prizes were courtesy of companies like Ecobank that opened free bank accounts for the winning students, among other contributions.
Vongai Motsi, who performed in the poetry category, expressed pleasure at the event that was a success despite their little experience in hosting.
“When I was announced the winner, I was full of joy. From it, I learnt that teamwork is important and brings positive results. Besides learning from other participants, I appreciated that it is important to co-exist with people from different backgrounds and culture,” she said.
Tatenda Bere, who was named the best poet, also spoke of his personal feelings on Culture Day.
“Culture is who you are. Through celebrating it, people are brought together and are given an opportunity to work together.”
Futures Academy had a humble beginning, starting off as an examination preparation centre catering for O- and A-Level students in the western suburbs and surrounding areas. It comprised of trained teachers who worked to bridge the gap during a time when industrial action by teachers was the order of the day.
Other schools that took part include Avondale Primary, who was the most outstanding primary school while Borrowdale Brooke Academy was tops in the food category.
“Because we were churning out great results with a high pass rate, parents encouraged us to take it a step further. So last year, we registered the institution with the Ministry of Education.
“Besides the e-learning programme that was introduced to the students, we have one-on-one approach where a student has tutorials in subjects they have difficulties in.
“Since quality is what we are after, 10 students is the maximum number we have per class,” he said.
Cool Lifestyle had a tour of the school and got an insight into the creative and friendly environment that is different from conventional schools to.
Online Reporter