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Kamangeni Phiri and Freedom Mupanedemo Feature
Former Midlands Governor Dr Cephas Msipa, a retired educationist and politician based in the Midlands capital, Gweru, fully appreciates the power of education in transforming lives. He is as passionate about assisting orphans and the less privileged pursue their education as he is on defending national interests. “Education is one of the most important pillars in an individual’s life,” he says. “Most poor children in developing economies embrace it as an escape route to a better life. Our children are the future of this country. I have to help orphans pursue their dreams by sponsoring their education.
“This is something that I have always wanted to do on a full-time basis ever since I was a teacher way back in 1956 at Amaveni Primary School in Kwekwe. That year, I assisted my first pupil get a scholarship to study at Goromonzi Mission.”
The man is now living his dream.
Today, the philanthropic nationalist is running the CG Msipa Scholarship Trust, a fund designed to help orphans and less privileged children in the country pursue their studies.
“When I came up with the CG Msipa Scholarship Trust, I had the poor children in mind … assisting them realize their goals. This is what I used to do even in the days of the liberation struggle. I would assist poor pupils who were intellectually gifted to get scholarships to study abroad. Some of those who managed to get scholarships then are now assisting this scholarship trust to grow. It is my hope that the beneficiaries of the CG Msipa Scholarship Trust who have just graduated will also work on assisting other up-and-coming poor and orphaned pupils,” he said.
Dr Msipa’s commitment to the project is encapsulated in his parcelling out his prized land at Cheshire Dairy farm situated along Matobo road just 15km outside Gweru into small plots for sale.
The idea, he says, is to raise money for the trust and subsequently, fees for the students.
“I have to play my part as well. I cannot just extend a begging bowl to the corporate world without playing my role. This is why I gave part of my land to the trust to help raise money for fees. My guiding principle is ‘don’t ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country’. This is what drives me,” he said.
When he first launched the CG Msipa Trust in 2009, Dr Msipa was targeting orphans in the Midlands as beneficiaries.
However, orphans in other provinces learnt of the benevolence of the retired governor through the media and rushed to the Midlands capital for assistance.
Today the CG Msipa Trust has grown national in scope. It is registered with the registrar of High Court and professionally run by a board of trustees and a management team.
But cash challenges abound in the running of the trust.
Funds continue to be a source of headache to the trust board while many more children with poor backgrounds keep seeking assistance from the CG Msipa Trust despite its limited financial muscle.
“The CG Msipa is not a personal trust. It is a national trust that is assisting students from poor backgrounds nationwide.
“At the moment, we have 150 students from various universities in the country. But our challenge is companies outside the Midlands are not willing to assist the trust and we don’t know why. Only a few are doing that and the majority of our sponsors are in the Midlands,” said Dr Msipa.
Recently, Dr Msipa met the first group of graduates who benefitted from the scholarship trust at a hotel in Gweru.
A casual glance at the facial expression of the respected politician and retired educationist as he addressed the group told a story of a man who was passionate about assisting the needy.
“You are very special to the trust and to me in that you are the first group of our students to complete degree programmes at Midlands State University,” said Dr Msipa.
“It is not easy to raise fees for students considering the prevailing economic situation. I am, however, glad we managed to do it and I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to several individuals and companies who have donated generously in support of this noble cause,” he added.
Among the beneficiaries of the scholarship was Luckson Ndume, 28, an orphan from Zaka in Masvingo.
Ndume is grateful to Dr Msipa and his team for coming up with a fund to sponsor the education of less privileged youths.
He said he was now taking care of his three siblings, thanks to the Trust.
“I heard of the CG Msipa Scholarship Trust through the media. I am really grateful to Dr Msipa and the board of the trust. I was stuck in Zaka when I came across an article about the CG Msipa trust.
“I could not proceed with my studies following the death of my parents. I then decided to give it a try to seek assistance from the scholarship and I was lucky as I was considered,” said Ndume.
The grateful youth pledged to help the trust grow by assisting other needy children attain their dreams once he settled down.
Advocate Canaan Dube, the chairman of the CG Msipa Trust, said since its inception in 2009, the CG Msipa Scholarship Trust has helped 150 children pursue their studies at local universities and other tertiary institutions.
He said: “It is a national trust which is run in a transparent and accountable manner. The 150 students that we assist are at almost all the universities in the country.
“Others are at tertiary institutions like Kaguvi Vocational Training Centre while a few others are in high school. We have about 500 children who are on the waiting list.
“We are appealing to individuals and companies, especially those outside the Midlands, to come on board and assist us help disadvantaged children.”
The CG Msipa Scholarship Trust will this weekend host the second edition of the CG Msipa annual charity soccer tournament to help raise funds for the trust.
Four premiership teams, Highlanders, Chapungu, FC Platinum and Shabanie Mine FC are expected to battle for supremacy.
Shabanie Mine will lock horns with last year’s winners FC Platinum at Mandava Stadium tomorrow in the first semi final duel, while the second semi final will pit Highlanders and premiership returnees Chapungu FC on the same day at Ascot stadium.
Winners of the two matches will clash in the final pencilled for Mandava stadium in Zvishavane on Sunday.
The tournament is sponsored to the tune of $12,000 with the ultimate winner expected to pocket $5,000, while the first runners up will get $3,000. Losing semi finalists will each get a consolation of $2,000.
Sports Minister Andrew Langa will grace the final of the tournament on Sunday as guest of honour.
Dr Msipa is no stranger to the football world as he once served as a former Zifa board member between 1957 and 1958.
“I have a passion for sports, especially soccer,” he says.
“This is why I chose soccer to help me raise funds for the trust. I used to coach soccer at school and helped identified some of the best talents of my time like the late Dynamos legend Richard Chiminya when I was still a teacher in Kwekwe.”
During his active days in the game Dr Msipa founded a team called Springbok, in Kwekwe.
The Government of Zimbabwe has pro-education policies that have helped the country’s literacy levels to be rated the best on the continent. Almost all provinces in the country have at least one university while most people have at least seven years of primary education.
At most leisure spots imbibers jokingly say if one was to throw a stone in a crowd these days, chances are he or she will hit a graduate.
It might be an exaggeration but the statement serves to show the inroads made by Zimbabwe in boosting its literacy rate, thanks to President Mugabe’s policies on education and individuals like Dr Msipa.
Online Reporter