Vusumuzi Dube
Amanda Mlevu , Sunday News Reporter
A COMBINATION of vision, passion and a mission to excel has spurred Townsend Girls High School in Bulawayo to move milestones in the provision of education that connects learners to the African traditional ways of living with the objective of producing a wholesome individual able to relate with the rural lifestyle.
To meet that important objective, the school yesterday commissioned its culture centre that consists of a summer house, kitchen hut, granary and a coop for road runner chickens. The centre provides a picturesque and insightful view into a traditional rural home set up and is a means of ensuring that the learners remain in touch with traditional practices that have been lost over the years.
The aim is to teach African heritage and ensure the students know how to inherit before being good innovators as the past meets the present where the emphasis in the current education system is on innovations that are responsive to community needs and problems.
Bulawayo Central District Schools Inspector for Mrs Lois Nozipo Ngulube expressed the need for learners to be taught about their culture and tradition when they were still young.
“Isigogo sigoqwa sisemanzi (Ndebele proverb meaning instruction is best administered when one is young). I believe that providing the opportunity for a student to know oneself and one’s heritage will ensure that they develop a strong sense of identity, leading to greater self-confidence I believe,” said Mrs Ngulube.
During the commissioning of the culture centre, Mrs Ngulube, who was the guest of honour, said she was there to help the school revive, restore and rebuild the African culture that had been lost over the years.
“Today I did not come as a guest of honour that is usually envisioned but I came as a grandmother who came to teach a few things of the old that I know,” said Mrs Ngulube.
Mrs Millicent Moyo, the Headmistress of Townsend High School, said since they were a school with cultural diversity, they wanted to combine both modern and traditional practices in their learning so that every student could have an appreciation of where they came from.
Mrs Moyo said the aim was to teach the young people about their roots and for them to embrace their culture.
“Some of these students do not know what a granary is and we opened this culture centre for them to learn both lifestyles, today they will be playing traditional games that we used to play when we were young,” Mrs Moyo said.
One of the highlights of the day was when students played traditional games such as intsoro, igwini, pada (hopscotch) and draft showcasing how they spend their leisure time in the centre. The students were excited as they took turns to play games.
Sunday News together with parents and guests got a chance to tour the centre which showcased the rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage of Zimbabwe. As in days before, part of the center consists of a tree where the man of the house would attend to disputes if he is a chief and also drink alcohol with his village friends.
Mrs Ngulube applauded the school girls for also adding a vegetable garden to complement their yard.
“This is a home indeed. This place even has a green beautiful garden. It has layers and broiler chickens adding the modern taste to it and am proud because I know every child at Townsend High will walk away with great knowledge,” said Mrs Ngulube.
Guests to the commissioning were treated to traditional food, fruits and brews.
Online Reporter