Little Lambs lead Bulawayo to a clean future

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu – [email protected]

A Bulawayo-based nursery school captured the attention of residents last week as they took to the city centre, marching and cleaning specific hotspots. The purpose behind their actions was to remind the city’s inhabitants of the need to restore Bulawayo to its former glory.

Little Lambs Nursery, located in Nketa, not only organised the march but also collaborated with various companies to clean 37 hotspots throughout Bulawayo on the same day.

Once hailed as the cleanest city not only in Zimbabwe but also in the entire region, Bulawayo has unfortunately experienced a decline in its cleanliness over time, with littering and uncollected garbage becoming common occurrences. With its nickname “City of Kings and Queens,” Bulawayo used to stand tall as a well-organised and immaculate city. From efficient garbage collection to well-maintained roads and traffic systems, the city, known affectionately as “Skies,” was once a shining example for others to follow.

The visionary behind Little Lambs Nursery is Mrs Duduzile Magagula, whose passion for teaching can be traced back to her teenage years. It was during this time that she made up her mind to pursue further studies in early childhood development.

Mrs Magagula’s dedication to instilling a sense of responsibility in young children has culminated in the establishment of the nursery.

Commending the efforts of the children, Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Judith Ncube, expressed her appreciation for their march through the central business district.

“We just experienced a national cleaning day of its kind as a province as we partnered with our little lambs in cleaning Bulawayo. We need young people and little children to grow with a culture of cleanliness. As Bulawayo residents, we have to change the way we have been treating the city which was left to us by our great grandfathers who were kings, Lobengula and Mzilikazi. Our city belonged to kings and we are historically known as the smartest in Zim. Sadly, we have developed foreign cultures which are distasteful hence the need to reform and return our dear Bulawayo to its former glory,” said Minister Ncube.

She said waste management practices have an impact on people’s health and well-being and she encouraged artists in their various spheres and platforms to preach cleanliness.

“We should change the narrative by encouraging the consumers of our content to keep the city clean,” said Cde Ncube.

Mrs Magagula, the founder of Little Lambs Nursery, emphasised that the clean-up initiative aimed to instil a sense of responsibility in children from a young age. She believed that by partnering with several companies and actively participating in the clean-up, the children would understand the importance of maintaining a clean city.

Mrs Magagula said the clean-up was meant to teach young children to be responsible.

“We thrive to develop children to become better residents when they grow up and I thought doing this programme in partnership with a number of companies will help them understand the importance of keeping a clean city. They are little stewards and by actively taking part in the clean-up, they have mastered the art of being responsible citizens,” said Mrs Magagula.