Vezulwazi arts tackle social ills

The arts foundation, formed in 2004, is looking to promote arts among youths as a way of providing them with an outlet to express themselves.

The group’s welfare director, Peter Madzvimbo, said through art they addressed issues ranging from gender equality to domestic violence and child abuse. The aim of the foundation is therefore not only to entertain but to provide social commentary as well.

“We aim to provide education on social issues but to do so in an exciting manner which we believe people can relate to because you find that people can learn more if education is packaged within entertainment,” said Madzvimbo.

He said that the foundation’s progress had stagnated in the past due to a lack of resources but they hoped for the best now.

“This is a project that was established in 2004 as Amazwi Community Arts based at Thabiso Youth Centre and since then it has been struggling to take full flight due to financial constraints which prevented the group from achieving its objectives”, he said.

Madzvimbo, who is a miner, said he has contributed towards the upkeep of the group thus far but also hoped that well-wishers would assist them in their future endeavours. He said the success of the group was in the interest of the community at large as they were seeking to alleviate the plight of youths in Bulawayo and surrounding areas.

“We are appealing to any interested individuals to assist in this project we have undertaken as it is to the benefit of not only us but of the community of Bulawayo at large,” he said.

The group’s artistic director, Khaboma Nyathi, said that the outfit owed gratitude to the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Senator Lutho Tapela who has been helping the group financially through their period of financial distress.

“We would like to thank the Honourable Minister who has helped us a lot recently. Through his efforts    we managed to set up a poultry project which is meant to help us gather funding for any of our projects”, he said.

The group also paid tribute to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education which had also lent support to the fledgling project.