Chronicle Editor
Melinda Ncube, Sunday News Correspondant
Former students from Sinotsi primary school in rural Plumtree recently gave their former headmaster and his wife 7 000 rands and two blankets as a token of appreciation.
Sinotsi School is named from a river that passes through the small village under Chief Mphini. It is constituted by Makuyu (Nchena), Makwazu, Maqatha and Malebegwa villages.
The former students and the community honored their former headmaster Mr Samuel Malomo and his wife Mrs Keffie Malomo for being a leading light in education in the area soon after independence.
“As parents, former students and as the community we found it necessary to honor Mr Malomo and his wife for building a school for us,” said one of the former students Rueben Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said children had to travel for about eight km to the nearest school, but all that changed when the couple worked at the local school, which started off as a pre school.
“When the war ended in 1980 and universal education for all was declared, the only schools available were far and this meant that many children still could not access free education. Mr Malomo and his wife were teachers at Gambu Primary school.
“Motivated by the plight of the many kids who could not attend school, they worked with local kraal heads to establish a school to ensure that all children would be able to attend school. There were many hurdles ahead, one being the fact that there was no funding.
“Parents and community agreeed to build a school from scratch, many people in a post war existence looked to government for all the support they needed, and were unwilling especially to work with their hands.
“It took a lot of patience, focus and commitment and sometimes risk from Mr Malomo to spearhead that and offer to be among the first teachers at the school. The school began from renovating an old delapidated building,” said another former student Limkani Sibanda.
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