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Herald Reporters
Most schools yesterday held their celebrations for today’s public holiday of Africa Day, when they are closed, with the celebrations presenting an important opportunity to discuss and reflect important milestones on youth developments across the continent.
Some school children were neatly dressed in African attire as a way of recognising their culture and identity, with some cooking sweet potatoes, mutakura, nhopi, rapoko sadza and playing nhodo and tsoro as part of celebrating Africa Day
Today’s celebrations mark the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, replaced by the African Union (AU) in 2002 as the success of that venture, which had included the total decolonisation and democratisation of the continent, demanded an upgrade in both an ever-closer organisation and the name.
Teachers and pupils from many schools expressed excitement over the celebrations of the day saying that it is a time to reflect on their objectives as Africans, not only where they came from but where they are going in terms of development and unity in the African continent.
High achievers International Academy Upper 6 pupil Tavonga Munema said some people are suffering from identity crisis thinking that western influence is the best.
‘Western influence is heavily diluting our culture especially the media, we have our own culture and heritage. This important date commemorates the victory of the people who were in struggle for freedom and independence and symbolises their wish for unity for the sake of peace, stability and sustainable development,” said Tavonga.
Another Upper 6 pupil from the same school, Jayden Chigorondondo, said there is a need to focus and promote good norms, cultural values and morals which defines the behaviour of a true African people.
“It is important to note that these Africa day celebrations have us as youths at heart because we got the Africa we want .We as the youths have to come together to build a power house continent with new and innovative ideas. We must be proud of ourselves and our venecular subjects because they define who we are.”
Andile Ndlovu, a Lower 6 pupil, also urges other youths to minimise cultural dilution and be proud of being an African child. Other youths should remember the heroes , ancestors and values of the Africans and not consider western culture as being important.
“Let us not forget who we are. We should dedicate ourselves to our identity because our heroes and ancestors played a pivotal role to set us free from colonial bondage,” said Andile.
Mr Upenyu Magodoro from the same school said there is a need to reflect the concept of Africanness, rise up and being innovative so as to improve developments. “We need to take a step ahead because we have resources to develop Africa.
Teachers and pupils from Marlborough High School highlighted the importance of Africa Day as the day of celebrating peace and free from colonial bondage. In Marlborough about 50 children drawn from different schools gathered at the home of Mbuya Hatifare Munongi, a retired teacher who turned her homestead into a culture centre called Tauya Kumusha Cultural Centre.
Gogo Hatifare Munongi said her tenure as a teacher made her understand that most of the children were ignorant of their culture. The children were cooking sweet potatoes, mutakura, nhopi, rapoko sadza as part of celebrating Africa Day
Owing to that, she decided to turn her homestead into a cultural centre to teach children traditional practices and cultural values. Various structures that depict African culture are found at Gogo Munongi ranging from huts, kitchen, girls hut called nhanga in Shona, boys hut (gota) and padare structure.
“As a former teacher l decided to continue teaching children about our culture, traditional foods and Ubuntu. I mainly focus on children who stay here in town so that they will know traditional things so that they will know where we are coming from,” said Gogo Munongi.
I converted my home into a cultural centre to promote cultural practices among children, especially those who do not go to rural areas and will be able to come and learn traditional things,” said Gogo Munongi.
One of the young participants, Esther Kabhiza, said she had benefited a lot as she was now able to understand the significance of Africa Day.
“l had learned a lot. l now know the importance of Africa Day and where we come from as Africans,” she said.
Mrs Mody Severa, who is also a teacher by profession, and formed an organisation called Afro-Drop Zimbabwe aimed at educating young children on cultural practices said she was complementing Amai Mnangagwa and other African mothers for promoting diverse cultures and their preservation while promoting Pan-Africanism.
First Lady Amai Mnangagwa has been promoting cultural norms and values by her nhanga and gota teachings.
“Our main focus is to teach children about culture. When l saw Mai Mnangagwa on television teaching us about eating traditional foods, that’s when l started thinking if l could also teach young children about traditional values,” said Mrs Severa.
“I came up with this idea of teaching children our cultural practices as some were born and grew up in town and never exposed to traditional foods, so we are teaching them traditional practices which include cooking traditional foods so that they grow up knowing their tradition as Zimbabweans,” She added.
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