adminFadzayi Maposah
Correspondent
I value learning as opportunities present themselves.
My teaching days though they did not add up to be many years all left lessons within. Lessons for the teacher!
After St Anne’s High School, I went to the Division of Mass Communication where I trained in Print Journalism.
After attaining the national diploma I had a baby. After I did not get a job as a journalist, I went back to breaking the chalk and dusting the ‘blackboard’.
That was teaching then, technology brought dustless chalk and then now white boards, markers and screen.
When I was a teacher then, there were some colours that seemed to attract chalk dust and after a few lessons it would appear that one had been playing with chalk rather than using it.
I then went to teach at Nemakonde Secondary School in Chinhoyi.
Then it was secondary school, now it is Nemakonde High School. It was and still is a big school.
Then when I was in my “Madam” days it had hot sitting with others coming to school late morning.
Those who were in class in the morning would be in the grounds in the afternoon for sports and vice versa.
During the changeover, one had to make sure they had joined the correct line before one started walking or one would end outside when they were supposed to be in and vice versa. One had to be alert.
The classes from form one to four were from A to N, yes 14 classes per stream!
The staff room was massive, but still others used offices and science labs.
The headmaster then, a Mr Shambare, was a no nonsense man.
He was a strict disciplinarian.
That was required of him regarding the numbers that he led. Long before most schools had lists in terms of what was allowed to be eaten within school premises, Nemakonde had a standard list!
The list even affected staff. I remember no French fries were allowed in the staff room.
One could eat them before they came to work. We adjusted and lived and the school then and even now has impressive academic results.
The headmaster was able to make me feel much at home and occasionally would ask for the journalist’s input until everyone knew that I was one.
Nemakonde was a whole community within Chikonohono high density suburb of Chinhoyi.
The combined assembly for the whole school was a big gathering. I was sad to leave after a term as I was there because someone was on leave.
My next school was Nyamangara Secondary School in Zvimba District. It is in the eastern part of the district.
The school war cry includes the words “kwaNyamangara kunobuda nezuva” (Nyamangara where the sun rises from). This was completely different from St Anne’s and Nemakonde. One totally rural, no electricity, no flush toilets, small school with many staff houses.
I even had a three-bedroomed house!
The bathroom was inside and could be used. The toilet, we used as a storeroom because it was still work in progress and we were told that there were other urgent priorities besides having indoor flush toilets.
When I was at Nyamangara, I now had two children, Tadiwanashe and Takudzwanashe and very able helpers, my sister Tendi, when she was on her O Level long holiday before she went back for her A Level and Marceline, who was a naturally gifted baby minder.
Besides kumusha, this was the first time, I had lived in a house with an outside toilet.
Each family had their own toilet with about three steps to get into the toilet. One exercised on each toilet visit!
The Blair toilet had a built in seat made of brick and which had been plastered.
We applied white floor polish and used a brush and a cloth to make the floor and seat shiny. Initially I was not eager to visit the toilet in broad day light!
People would know my private moments, but with time I adjusted and could go in and out as often as I wished! Adaptation.
There were so many adjustments. We had a paraffin stove in the kitchen, other families had outside kitchens where fires blazed.
We made friends interacting at work and at home.
Our lounge was just like the one at St Anne’s until in the second month of my teaching, I bought a set of red and white kitchen table and chairs that we put in one corner.
After school, some days I carried Takudzwanashe on my back tied carefully in a towel and held Tadiwanashe’s hand as we went “kubasa kwaMama” (Mommy’s workplace) either to buy eggs from the agriculture unit or get books to mark from the staff room.
Tadiwanashe would wave at her friends as we went past their homes and Takudzwanashe would jump on my back as if agreeing.
At Nyamangara, there was always abundant relish, one could choose sour milk from the village, broilers or eggs from the agriculture unit, vegetables from other teachers or the agriculture unit.
We were chubby and healthy! There was natural peanut butter that some community members came to sell. There was no mealie meal porridge without peanut butter!
Three situations, one Fadzi. Adaptation is important. After Nyamangara I went to join the Ministry of Information and Publicity. I had to adapt again.
Tuesday was Menstrual Health Day. I was saddened to hear during discussions that there are some women who want the girls today to use what they used for sanitary ware when they were girls.
It is like they want to punish them for having been born now when they can access information about menstrual health and have opportunities where organisations are just dedicated to menstruation.
We all need to contribute to a “Period friendly world!”.
How we are friendly may not be the same just like St Annes, Nemakonde and Nyamangara High Schools are different yet from each I made diverse impactful relationships.
Online Reporter