Friends Of Pakati

2026 has been a good year so far for us at Friends of Pakati – and it looks like it us only going to get better following the important announcement made recently by Scunthorpe United. The link for it is near the foot of this blog post, but there is much more to be covered before then.

The year 2026 began with our podcast no. 30, and here is the link to all our podcasts for you to enjoy: https://friendsofpakati.com/podcasts-and-vlogs/

In January I travelled to Leicester for two things – firstly to meet up with Cuan Forrest to discuss all things Friends of Pakati, and secondly to have some donated items shipped out to Pakati.

To find out more about what went on see here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/01/29/two-days-in-leicester/ and https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/01/27/it-takes-a-team/

The most important event for us financially was the Community Day we attended at Scunthorpe United FC in March.

It went extremely well for us, adding almost £700 to our total funds. What happened? Find out here on our most popular blog so far this year: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/03/15/iron-fans-prove-their-generosity-again/

I reminisced about how I got to Pakati in 1989 and about my very early days there… https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/03/31/chris-looks-back-to-1989-part-1-getting-to-pakati/ & https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/04/02/chris-looks-back-to-1989-part-2-early-days-at-pakati/

I also decided to include a piece about another African country I visited several times here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/04/08/the-pearl-of-africa/

Most importantly for Friends of Pakati is, of course, the wonderful students at both Pakati schools, and the staff who support them. Here are the things we posted about, starting with the Primary school in January:

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/02/15/pakati-primary-prefection/ 

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/04/23/school-holidays-at-pakati/

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/05/13/back-to-school-for-pakati-prinary/

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/05/29/local-history-lesson-for-pakati-students/

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/06/04/heritage-lesson-follow-up/

https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/06/13/sports-at-pakati-sec/

And lastly, I had contact with a former colleague from 1990/91 for the first time since I left Pakati, Mr Kamuti: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/05/24/a-new-voice-from-the-past/

Finally, just as June is drawing to a close, we have the latest connection between Friends of Pakati and Scunthorpe United, two things which came together here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/06/26/the-iron-v-friends-of-pakati-when-two-passions-collide/

This is a collection of stories all about what Friends of Pakati is all about – looking at how we can help the two Pakati schools, to improve the learning environment and experience for their students. It tells about life at Pakati, its ups & downs, with stories from staff & students. It shows what we are doing & what we are trying to achieve.

To help us to support the schools with all this, please donate to either by http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Freinds-of-pakati

Thank you!😎

Those who know me well can tell you I have two particular passions – Friends of Pakati, and Scunthorpe United – both of which have now joined together in a new deal!

Thanks to support from our good friend Cuan Forrest (see https://friendsofpakati.com/2025/04/13/out-of-the-shadows-meet-cuan-forrest/ ) Friends of Pakati has agreed to be a sponsor of Scunthorpe United’s shirts for the upcoming 2026/27 season.

Our logo – similar to the badge below –  will be seen on the sleeve of the shirts at both home & away games.

The details have been worked out between Cuan, the club’s Head of Partnerships, Glyn Sparks, and myself.

For me, as the founder of Friends of Pakati and Iron fan since childhood, this partnership is one of great personal meaning, and one that has been building steadily since 2019.

The club, its owners, staff and perhaps most importantly, its fans have been so supportive over the years. Donations of money, time, support, sports tops, t-shirts, gifts, prizes, and publicity or social media support have come from many different people affiliated to the club, & I cannot thank them all enough. I know that the local community at both Pakati schools feel exactly the same.

Below are some further comments from key supporters of Friends of Pakati:

Debbie Chadbon said this:

“Hi Chris.
The Scunthorpe United shirt sponsorship is great, and will increase the profile of Friends of Pakati, helping to raise awareness of the organisation. This is very much appreciated.”

The Heads of both Pakati schools (seen above) issued a joint statement as follows:

“On behalf of the Pakati schools and local community, we really appreciate the support given to Friends of Pakati by all involved with Mr Walker’s local football team, Scunthorpe United FC. This partnership will provide a boost to the level of interest in Friends of Pakati, and also to the funds available to help support both schools. We can also say that there is a growing fan base for the club in our small corner on Zimbabwe – so Up the Iron!”

I have also recorded a brief video which will be out on Instagram this afternoon.

To help us at Friends of Pakati to support both schools learning environment, plesse donate to either http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Freinds-of-pakati

Thank you👏

This week I heard from Mr Chizenya, Head of Pakati Secondary school.

They have been hosting the Zonal sports competition, which included the following local schools: Dombodzvuku High, Mabika Secondary, Mapukutu Secondary, Mubamba Secondary, plus the hosts, Pakati.

The sports covered are the usual ball games of Under 17’s Football, Netball and Volleyball.

The football competition took place against backdrop of the school buildings at Pakati, as seen below.

Next up are the Under 17 volleyball boys in action!

Below are the Pakati Sec Netball girls (in white and yellow) in competition

I can remember watching Pakati sports competitors both at Pakati and other localities, such as Hokodzi, Rota, and Murewa, with vwey find memories. Pakati often punched above their weight, performing above expectations and beating teams or individuals from bigger schools.

Long may that continue!

To help us at Friends of Pakati to support the schools learning environment by donating to either http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Freinds-of-pakati

Thank you!👍

Welcome back to Friends of Pakati, where we talk about how we help both Pakati schools, and report on everyday life & education at the Primary & Secondary schools.

Following on from this recent post https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/05/29/local-history-lesson-for-pakati-students/ we asked the school for more information about their trip.

My thanks go to Mr Chadenga, teacher of Maths, and Heritage Studies at Pakati Secondary school, for the images and information provided.

I wanted to find out more about the trip, so here is what Mr Chadenga told me. I first asked him about how the trip fit into the school curriculum:

He said that it is a part of the Heritage Studies course, where learners are taught about Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial history.

“These are some of the (Form 1) learners who were present when we went there. They said that they have heard about it before. They believed that these people occupied our area when they visited the painting site. They also acknowledge the idea of art and drawing was brought about by these people.”

The settlers in the area at the time were considered to be hunter-gatherers, as told to a teacher by the Form 1 student pictured above.

I also enquured about the area in general, and why they chose the particular location they visited:

“.. we toured the nearest mountain with the two Form 1 classes. This was a heritage studies lesson. We went to see rock paintings done by the San people.

They also believed that there were animals like the deer that time from the paintings they saw.”

In the general catchment area of Pakati schools, particularly in the hilly areas, there are at least 3 places where rock paintings can be found, including these at the mountain called Nyakudyara mountain in Chadenga village, Gwangwadza in the Chigwada area, and Mbundire village. There others in the area too I am told, thus confirming the presence of a fairly large settlement in the area dating back at least 1400 years.

Accompanying the students were teachers Mr Chadenga (Maths, Heritage Studies & Combined Science) Ms Musindo (Heritage Studies & Combined Science) plus Mr Ediyeti and Mrs Munaatswa.

Here are some of the 80 Form 1 students who visited the site, discussing what they saw back in the classroom.

As I mentioned in the previous blog, learning is enhanced when it includes ‘hands-on’ experiences. It is clear that these Form 1 students were fully engaged with the history on show within walking distance of the school.

To help us at Friends of Pakati to support the schools learning environment by donating to either http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Freinds-of-pakati

Thank you👍

Just recently, students from Pakati Secondary school have had a practical History lesson, relating to a local site of significant historical interest.

From Mr Chizenya, Secondary school Head recently: “Ms Musindo and Mr Chadenga engaged on a local tour with learners in late May 2026. They went to see some rock paintings at a cave in the Chadenga village. It is believed that the paintings were done by the early inhabitants of Central and Southern Africa, that is the San people.”

During the time I lived & worked in Zimbabwe, I  saw & read a book on Rock Art in Zimbabwe. This is the book: “The Painted Caves: An Introduction to the Prehistoric Art of Zimbabwe” by Peter Garlake (1987): Widely considered the definitive guide to prehistoric cave art in northern Zimbabwe. It provides excellent site descriptions and context for Mashonaland.

The images above from the hill Gwangwadza are during a number of visits to the site by both myself and Debbie Chadbon. The location is one of those mentioned in Peter Garlake’s book mentioned above.

This video is from the students trip, discussing some of the paintings they found.

It would appear that there are a number of similar sites in the area, indicating there would have been settlements dating back to around 600AD at least. This would pre-date the Great Zimbabwe ruins, thought to have been built from around 900AD onwards over 200 years.

The two pictures of Great Zimbabwe above were taken by me in 1990 when on holiday with my parents, travelling around Zimbabwe.

It is widely recognised in Education that if students experience things for themselves, they will get a better understanding from that experience than simply reading from a textbook, no matter how well written or illustrated it might be.

It is encouraging to see that Pakati Secondary are able to use the local environment wisely to support the students & try to make their learning experiences more real. It can only help them understand the world around them.

Just this week I was contacted by someone who I knew from back in 1990….my thanks to Memory Mapiti for enabling the contact.

A new teacher (one of several) who started at Pakati Secondary school in January that year, Mr Givemore Kamuti. He joined along with others like Mr Siayawamwaya who has appeared here on Friends of Pakati previously.

Let me tell Mr Kamuti’s story from the chat we are having on WhatsApp.

Born in Mutoko, he attended Bwanya School in his local area. He started in Grade 1 in 1976, but his education was interrupted by the Civil War for 3 years. (The fighting took place largely in the rural areas, moving steadily in from Mozambique border on the Eastern edge of Zimbabwe, towards Harare, before ending in 1979).

He completed Grade 7 in 1984, before attending Mutoko High school up to 1988. He went on to become a Tempoary Teacher for 3 years, which is how I met him.

As I mentioned earlier, he came to Pakati Secondary school in January 1990, the beginning of my second year there. Here is what he told me:

“I was teaching Geography and Science Form 3 and 4, plus Shona and Agriculture to Forms 1 & 2. I was also the 1991 sports organizer  And I also was organizing drama performing from school to school especially the neighboring schools.” I remember him as a valued teacher at the school.

He married a lady who was selling things at a shop in Chigwada, & took her to his home in Mutoko. From there, he was no longer teaching after his year at Gezi Primary school in 1992.

He went in to say: “Then I started gathering things in Harare and selling them in my rural area, bartering them for grain, especially plastic buckets, second hand clothes and such like. I did that for at least 4 years, before becoming a Security Guard.”

During the time of economic challenges in the 2000’s he says “I did what ever was possible for me just to put bread on the table. I am now in Harare living at my late father’s house with the family.”

He lastly tells me more about the family: “God blessed me with 4 children, 3 girls and 1 boy. The First is married with 3 kids and the second is also married with no kids and the 3rd (boy) is also married with 1 baby. Only the last one is with me now.”

Finally, I want to end this by adding something he said when I asked him what he remembers from Pakati:

“Mr Walker was a different type of person He most of the time associated with parents in the society, could walk alone with ease in the area and was a very strong man. He would cook meat & relish with many spices in it. However, he could eat sadza but didn’t want to learn cooking it!”

I have to admit he was right about most of that!

This week across Zimbabwe schools are re-opening for the second term of 2026. Here the school year runs from January to December.

Recently the Head of Pakati Primary, Mr Mahachi, spoke passionately about his role, and where he got his inspiration to be a teacher from: https://friendsofpakati.com/2026/05/09/podcast-33-meet-primary-head-mr-mahachi/

Below are images of many of the learners he and his staff inspire on a daily basis.

One of the Primary teachers sent me the images used here, Mr Baloyi. He is shown later on with his class, but he also added the following message about the school:

“Pupils are really excited to begin another term, they’re really happy to meet their twachers and their fellow friends after a long holiday. Learners are smart and presentable showing that there is full support from home. They have their writing books, pens and pencils, learning has already began. The feeding program has started well and all pupils are feeding well. However some learners failed to attend school today and we hope to see them tomorrow and during the course of the week.”

As the students arrived with parents to meet the teachers, some helped prepare the school for re-opening at the start of the day.

The remaining pictures are of the staff with their classes, plus the Head & Deputy in their offices.

We post these images to show what the two Pakati schools have, as well as what they don’t have. Friends of Pakati, at its heart, is trying to help both schools improve how they provide education to their learners from before Grades 1 to 7 (Primary), and Forms 1 to 4 (Secondary).

We have moved from just providing donated IT as originally planned, to sports shirts, t-shirts, polo shirts, now into donated books for teachers to use, toys for early learners, and in the future,  (not computer) games, more toys, and I am promised, some clothes.

We have also helped to fund things like solar power repairs & connecting power supply to the main school buildings, & hope to extend that to wi-fi/internet connectivity. There is a lot we can do, and will put forward a plan soon to explain it in more detail.

To support us, please donate here:

http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/friends-of-pakati

Thank you!

This is a podcast we at Friends of Pakati have been looking forward to for some time.

Mr Mahachi is the Head of Pakati Primary school, the Author has met him several times, and we are often in touch with him. He regularly sends us updates on life at Pakati, with stories, videos, photos and information which we are able to use here on the blog.

I am always grateful for the support, and below is the recording, capably hosted as always by Bradley Mell. Enjoy!

It was great to hear Mr Mahachi talk with such enthusiasm, about teaching, about Pakati, and of course about the impact of the work Friends of Pakati has been doing.

Coming soon:

Friends of Pakati is also lining up another podcast, with Secondary school Head Mr Chizenya as the guest. As soon as that is recorded and edited we will publish it here on the blog

Ever wondered what the school staff & students do during the holiday periods? Read on…

I have been talking to the two Heads at Pakati as it is currently the break between Terms 1 & 2. In Zimbabwe, the school terms are 13 weeks straight, then breaks of 4, 4, & 5 weeks (Xmas/New Year).

I know from my own experience between 1989 and 1991, that most teachers/staff will travel to their family homes during these school holiday periods.

I, like many other VSO volunteers, used to travel around Zimbabwe to the various tourist attractions available there (see above).

Pakati schools are in a fairly remote rural area, and as such, the staff mostly will not be locally based, having been posted there by the Murewa-based staffing office. Hence their need to visit family during the holiday periods.

Accotding to both Pakati school Heads – Mr Mahachi (Primary) and Mr Chizenya (Secondary) – the teachers are required to take turns to stay at the school on official duty, covering a week each of each holiday. Primary teachers Mr Gonye & Mr Baloyi are seen in the pictures above & below, on duty this week.

Several of the teachers plant crops to help supplement their food supply, and currently it is the harvesting season for several of the crops. As a result, when on duty they will take the chance to harvest this school holiday.

Sone students are obliged to come in & maintain the school grounds a day each week…

…while extra lessons are provided for Grade 7 (exam classes) students at the Primary school.

It is also a question of security for the school during these school breaks, as they can be vulnerable to break-ins both at the school buildings & teachers houses unfortunately from time to time.

Coming up soon:

We have had some difficulties getting the promised forthcoming podcast involving two guests…

…but we are determined to get these two gentlemen recorded soon telling us how they ended up at Pakati, and what they have to say about Friends of Pakati ‘s work.

To support our efforts:

http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Friends-of-pakati

Welcome to our latest podcast! Today we talk to David Scott, the donor to Friends of Pakati who recently doubled our funds raised during the Community Day stall at Scunthorpe United FC, on 14th March.

I wanted to find out more about David, why (amongst other things) he had decided to boost our funds on a regular basis. Below is the episode in which myself & and our regular host, Bradley Mell, interviewed David online as he lives in Germany.

David is, like myself and Brad, an avid Scuntorpe United fan. We have met at a number of games, home and away.

As we discuss in the podcast, David was the one who came up with the idea for ‘Get Tied Up For Pakati’ back in 2022. Pictured below are several Scunthorpe United fans coming off the supporters coach at the Bradford City away game, and David, Chris & his son Daniel, all suitably tied up.

David sent some images from key past games he attended…

It was great to find out more about Davud, as he has been such a generous donor to Friends of Pakati. This was just a really good opportunity to publicly thank David for his continued support!

If you can, please do donate to us at either http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/Friends-of-pakati

THANK YOU!