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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Reporter
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday said career guidance should be taken seriously as it prepares learners to choose and adjust occupational lives, generate and appreciate the realities of the employment market.
She said this during a career guidance show for schools around Mashonaland Central Province, which ran under the theme, “Realising the dream of the African child through career guidance”.
Representatives from various sectors and tertiary institutions such as the Zimbabwe Open University, Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University and Harare Institute of Technology, attended the event, and provided guidance to learners.
The secondary school learners who gathered at Kakora Secondary School, had a lifetime experience, through getting a glimpse of the real world.
In a speech read on her behalf by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, Dr Mnangagwa said yesterday was a special day of guiding learners into future professional trajectories they desire.
“On days like these, our learners receive assistance in preparing to choose and adjust occupational lives, generate and appreciate the realities of the employment market.
“Learners are further helped to make connections between passions to work, purpose to do a task and understanding of the complicated world of employment,” she said.
The First Lady said yesterday’s programme theme, brought to mind the mammoth task that lay before the nation in assisting the young ones to make informed educational, training and occupational choices.
A police officer explains the force’s recruitment guidelines during Provincial Schools Career Guidance day organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa at Kakora Secondary School in Chiweshe yesterday
Dr Mnangagwa said the existing economic challenges that Africa finds herself in today, owing to history, have not only compromised her existence as a continent, but a child born from it has also been considered lesser to a colleague born in other continents, such as Europe, in terms of opportunities and information access.
“Faced, therefore, with such a situation, it becomes our duty, our primary obligation to ensure that though the African child is born in a place disadvantaged by history, can be helped, guided and counselled to the point of realising his or her professional rightful place.
“On this day, therefore, l call upon all teachers, school administrators and other stakeholders to make career guidance not only a once-off event as we see today here, but a continuous process in our teaching and learning process,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa said if such information was made available to learners regularly, there was no doubt that there would be no professionals who join lines of duty by default, as they would have made a conscious decision.
In line with the updated curriculum that seeks to produce a holistic, employable, and employment creating product from the country’s education sector, the First Lady said skills and career guidance sessions are critical in widening the professional horizons of learners so they are either worthy employees or employers of tomorrow.
Mashonaland Central acting deputy Provincial Education Director, Dr Temba Mangwiro, said it was a unique opportunity for learners to be interacting with the First Lady, who was represented by Minister Ndlovu.
“Dr Mnangagwa had to form a partnership with the potential employer. As a Ministry, we value such an opportunity which exposes our pupils to the real world of work.
“Further, it provides an important opportunity to our children to interact with the important personalities from the community,” said Dr Mangwiro.
Police Victim Friendly Unit team explains the effects of taking drugs to learners at a Provincial schools career guidance day in Chiweshe yesterday
Kakora Secondary School head, Ms Egfar Chipoya, said the event was a clear testimony that Dr Mnangagwa always remembers her roots, as she hails from the same community.
“Her Excellency Amai Mnangagwa has proved to be a veteran of a system that seeks to transform the development trajectory through skills education.
“This is evidenced by the donation of laptops, printers, white boards, an overhead projector and wi-fi for Kakora Secondary School.
“The ICT gadgets came at a time when we really needed them to embrace the competence-based curriculum,” said Ms Chipoya.
She added that the donation enabled the school authorities to engage every learner, in line with the Government’s thrust of leaving no one and no place behind, in accessing technological devices.
“Thank you Amai for promoting education for all future generations. Furthermore, Her Excellency donated two solar-powered boreholes; there is no life without safe water for drinking.
“Amai also awakened us with the refurbishing of the whole school, thereby creating a conducive environment for learning.
“We highly salute you our mother and honour your dedication towards the education of children,” she said.
Learners follow proceedings during the Provincial career guidance day in Chiweshe yesterday. — Pictures Innocent Makawa
Junior Member of Parliament Makonese Msengi said the theme for yesterday’s career guidance programme by the First Lady, “Realising the dream of the African child through career guidance”, was fitting.
“This theme encourages us to stop the limitations of the Zimbabwean child’s mind. It tries to awaken the conscience of the African child to tell him or her that you are not limited,” said Msengi.
A Form 3 learner at Kakora Secondary School, Tendai Kazingizi, who was being given guidance on traditional food learning, thanked Amai Mnangagwa for initiating the programme.
“Thanks to our loving mother, the First Lady. I didn’t know of the advantages of traditional foods of being healthy and medicinal. I am now considering the idea of starting up restaurants that sell traditional dishes once I finish school,” she said.
Dress making was one of the eye-catching exhibitions, with Mr Collen Mahachi and wife Kudakwashe, of Madzimai Kuda Tailors in Chiweshe, taking time to explain their experiences in the sewing industry.
“Whether one is academically gifted or not, each one of you can take up tailoring as a serious business to sustain livelihoods,” she said.
Minister Ndlovu, who once worked for a factory that exported clothes to Germany, weighed in saying tailoring was a million-dollar business.
Zimbabwe Republic Police, Victim Friendly Unit section Sergeant Pauline Chiswa also gave career guidance to learners who may wish to join the uniformed forces.
Sgt Chiswa also criticised the scourge of drug and substance abuse, which is prematurely ending young careers, and in some cases depriving children of parental love and care and those that take them either die or become so addicted that they can’t work.
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