Know Your Author: Miidzo Mavesera

district in Masvingo.
She has written a Shona novel, Makaitei (published in 2008), a play Chiutsi (2011,) two book chapters, a monograph Ziva Kodzero Dzako, Mendenenzi ( CASAS 2007) and has co-authored a book on practical criticism: Mhenenguro Bhuku reMudzidzi Danho re A-Level with two other colleagues.
A Shona anthology and another book chapter are already with some publishers showing that Mavesera is not yet ready to stop. She did her secondary school at Musume Secondary School in Mberengwa.
Armed with a complete O’ Level certificate she went on to acquire her Secondary Teachers’ Certificate from Gweru Teachers College, after which she went on to teach in various secondary schools. Being a hard worker, she only saw the certificate as a stepping stone for further education hence she enrolled with Unisa and acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree. This was then followed by a Masters Degree in Educational Administration, Planning and Policy Studies she attained with the Zimbabwe Open University. The cherry on the icing in her academic endeavours is the DLit et Phil she acquired from Unisa
This author’s work experience speaks volumes of the stuff she is made of. She is one person who no longer believes in the old adage that the sky is the limit, for her there is always room at the top. Mavesera is an academician-cum-administrator of repute, an effective researcher and trainer who has vast experience in both high school education and university education.
As a secondary school head, she is distinguished for effective leadership which saw her winning national prizes in Environmental Management competitions, consecutively while serving at two different schools Mazoe Citrus (1999) and Nyarukanda (2000). While still serving in the secondary schools, she was used as a trouble shooter in three different regions of Zimbabwe — Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and Midlands — especially where there was stagnancy in terms of development, student disciplinary problems, difficult staff and mismanagement of funds (funds she can manage for sure as she was once the SDA treasurer for Thornhill High 2002-2003).
Currently, Mavesera is the founding director of The Centre for Professional Development at the Zimbabwe Open University where she has distinguished herself through designing a training model that uses applied research and integrated community engagement for sustainable development.
She distinguished herself by establishing the Dandaro Model which trains farmers of different academic backgrounds through open and distance learning. The innovation has opened doors of learning and empowered women and men in the farming communities.  She is also a supervisor for Higher Research degrees at the Zimbabwe Open University.
Mavesera has proved that she is not only a writer, but a woman of many talents.
During her tenure in schools, she was well known for winning awards in dramas that she directed, in various Norad sponsored competitions, as well as delivering the best lesson that used the values clarification method that was recorded by the Curriculum Development Unit under the Population Education Programme at Temeraire High School in 1997.
She has also gone beyond the call of duty to serve in different organisations including the Forum for African Women Educationalists Zimbabwe Chapter (FAWEZI) and Shona Language and Culture Association (SLCA) Midlands Province.
Through her efforts the Midlands Region was the only one that established district chapters and started vibrant Student Alliance for Female Education (SAFE) clubs (2003-2005). Mavesera won sponsorship from Forum for African Women Educationalists Regional Secretariat FAWE (RS) in Nairobi, Kenya (2004) for her innovation in designing empowerment projects for school children which replicated into community engagement focusing on the needy child.
She was trained as a FAWE Trainer of Trainers (TOT) on Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) Karonga, Malawi August ( 2009) becoming one of the only two international trainers on GRP from Zimbabwe. Mavesera is also Trainer of trainers for Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) skills (Advance Africa and FAWEZI, 2004).
She played a key role as a researcher for Midlands State University’s Sexual Maturation Research Project funded by Rocker Feller Foundation, (2002-2006). She has written a number of articles published in refereed journals on mainstreaming African languages,  has presented papers at international conferences and her consultancy work includes being external examiner in African Languages.
Mavesera still attends to her motherly and wifely duties, for she is happily married to Shangwa Mavesera whom she describes as “the most supportive and inspiring husband”, one can ever ask for from the creator.
Thus the axiom “behind every successful man” has now been reversed by this family for behind this successful lady is the ever supportive husband to turn to. She has been blessed with four adorable children.