Chronicle EditorClementine Phulu and Valencia Ndhlovu, Sunday News Reporters
Teachers for Economic Development in conjunction with the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology launched its Bulawayo Chapter with calls to involve educators in the mainstream economy through empowerment programmes that are responsive to their needs. Bulawayo Chapter co-ordinator Ms Golden Nkomo said they wanted to unpack the objectives of their organisation whose main agenda was to fit and equip teachers to survive in the mainstream economy.
“We are launching our Bulawayo Chapter. We want to equip teachers to survive in the mainstream economy, we are saying to the teachers remain in the classroom but also make money,” said Ms Nkomo.
She said they learnt the skills from the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology and were now sharing with the teachers on the concept of education with production. One of the headmasters who attended said the programme was long overdue. He said most headmasters were towards their retirement age and were worried about their future hence the coming of Teachers for ED (Economic Development) was a step in the right direction.
Director for administration for Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology Colonel (Retired) George Nare said they were trying to mobilise teachers to contribute to the economic development of the country by embarking on various economic development projects. “We are trying to mobilise teachers as a school to contribute to economic development of the country by embarking on developmental projects and improving their living conditions as well as contributing to the achievement of an upper-middle income economy by 2030.
“We are inculcating the spirit of patriotism among teachers countrywide. In this case, focusing on Bulawayo Province, we are developing a close working relationship between the party Zanu-PF, the Government and civil servants to ensure effective implementation of all developmental programmes and we want to say in the process we exchange views with the teachers on various opportunities available across all the sectors of the economy as part of the nation building and as we strain towards attaining vision 2030 as spelt out by President Mnangagwa,” he said.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairperson Cde Jabulani Sibanda said the workshop was the beginning of their interaction with each and every member in the community.
“This is the beginning of our interaction with every member of our community, we will be interacting at any level be it on issues to do with economy, business, et cetera, to make our people believe and understand that we are one as a nation and we have the responsibility of ensuring that the welfare of our citizens is catered for through empowerment programmes,” he said.
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