Friends Of Pakati

Greetings everyone!

Friends of Pakati has decided that, following discussions with key stakeholders in Zimbabwe, to pause posting new material. This is because of th upcoming elections in Zimbabwe, due on 23rd August 2023.

We are a non-political organisation, which allows us to work in the area of Ward 14, Murewa District, as long as we follow local protocols.

Once the election is over, we can return to reporting on the two Pakati schools as we seek to continue to support them & their students as we have since 2019.

In the meantime, we will report things which are more UK based news, such as local fundraising, interviews with key supporters, as well as covering things we have done or published previously. We will of course maintain our social media presence too.

Hi everyone – I have been in touch with staff at Pakati Secondary School this week, and have some interesting news…please read on!

The school Administration Block has the staff room & offices for Heads of Department and Senior Staff.

However, when in 2019 Friends of Pakati succrssfully delivred the first few computers we had been donated, part of the staffroom eventually became home to them.

Since 2020, with ongoing problems around the Corona virus pandemic and erratic electricity supplies, the school could only provide a few IT lessons for the students.

Now, as Friends of Pakati hope to send more IT to both Pakati schools, having helped the Secondary restore their solar power supply, they are upgrading the staffroom to be an IT suite. Work is now ongoing inside & out.

It would be wonderful if we at Friends of Pakati can send more IT equipment to both of the Pakati schools for them to be used by more students, and have formal IT lessons – as required by the Curriculum, and for the benefit of the community at large.

Can you help us? Do you know someone who is willing to donate to support our efforts? If so, please point them towards our fundraising http://www.gofundme.com/friends-of-pakati and/or http://www.paypal.me/friendsofpakati

Thank you! Watch out for more news in the near future…

Greetings everyone! Welcome to the Friends of Pakati review of the first half of 2023…our 5th year of existence & still going strong👍

We start, though, with a sad tale, particularly for me (the Author) personally….

In late December 2022 my father passed away aged 92, and we had a funeral for him in early January this year. I paid a personal tribute to him here on the blog https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/01/15/looking-back-a-very-personal-story/

I also talked about him & my Mum with our podcast host, Bradley Mell. Have a listen here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/01/15/friends-of-pakati-podcast-episode-14/

We have looked at local Primary schools in the Ward 14 area of Murewa District, as there has been several good news stories recently. There have been new staff toilets, Wifi installations, and a new borehole/water tank. Here are the links to find out more: https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/02/19/latest-news-from-friends-of-pakati-3/ & https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/06/18/pakati-primary-latest-developments/

We have also reported on two of our representatives, Debbie Chadbon & Lorraine Mapuranga, as they met for the first time in 30 years, along with the Author. This was possible due to former Pakati Secondary student Lorraine’s arrival into the UK. Links to these stories are here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/02/05/from-pakati-to-south-east-england/ & https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/08/3-friends-of-pakati-re-united/

I was particularly taken by the collection of photos Debbie has from het time in Zimbabwe, so much so there are a couple of blogs about them: https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/10/debbies-photos/ and https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/06/06/more-of-debbies-pakati-pictures/

One of the great things for me with Friends of Pakati since it started, has been reuiniting with so many people I knew between 1989 & 1991. Obviously the majority are former students, but also some former teachers – particularly former colleagues, not least Mr Takawira Siyawamwaya, seen below.

Mr Siyawamwaya taught at Pakati Secondary school in 1990, and shared accommodation with me. We managed to record a podcast with him not long ago, & posted it here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/24/friends-of-pakati-podcast-episode-14-2/

There is always something people can do to support us in our Vision – https://friendsofpakati.com/2020-vision-friends-of-pakati-the-project-continues/ – in several different ways: on social media by sharing & liking our posts – use @friendsofpakati to find us on facebook, twitter & instagram – but also financially via http://gofundme.com/friends-of-pakati or http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati as we seek to send more IT, sports equipment, and other help to both Pakati schools.

Thank you, please keep following us & spreading the word!

Written by Chris Walker:

 

With my thanks to the Head Teacher, Mr Mahachi, Friends of Pakati are delighted to bring the stories of recent developments at Pakati Primary school. We always want to tell of interesting news about the schools & community, as it is important to show that life in rural Zimbabwe is not static or one-dimensional. 

Today we bring together a number of elements, including more about the installation of WiFi at the school (see https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/05/21/ward-14-primaries-schools-making-progress/ ), the drilling of a new borehole with a water tank & solar powered pump, plus how these things were planned and agreed by the school and its community. 

As seen here https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/05/06/wifi-at-pakati-primary-man-at-ta-and-other-stories/ the WiFi was part of a local initiative to bring rural Primary schools into the digital age. The small number of PCs Friends of Pakati provided in 2019 will help, but getting more IT out to them & the Secondary school is our priority. 

Having a good supply of clean drinking water is also an essential requirement for the students at Pakati Primary; and the school has been proactive here too. See pictures below showing the drilling, the solar panel, and construction of the water tank.

The whole of the school community – staff, students and parents – have been involved in discussions about these developments, as well as on more regular school concerns like the Curriculum. Pictures below show some of those discussions going on.

Written by Chris Walker:

 

Greetings to you from Friends of Pakati! We find ourselves in June already, with things going on in the background to help us raise more funds; which will of course enable us to support both Pakati schools where they need us to.

In the meantime, I found myself looking once more at the photos which Debbie Chadbon shared with me earlier this year. You can read about our meeting here https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/08/3-friends-of-pakati-re-united also you can see more of her pictures here https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/10/debbies-photos/

These are some of the students at Pakati Secondary school in 1992, as photographed by Debbie in class. It is their fellow students now at the school and its sister Primary school, who Friends of Pakati was set up to support, primarily to provide some basic IT equipment. Since then we have also provided sports gear, t-shirts and help to restore solar power. We hope to do much more in the future for the schools.

The pictures below show a number of things which bring back so many memories for me – the state of the school buildings, staff and students relaxing in and around school and the community, Debbie having visits from family & friends from the UK…

I had visits from friends, but most importantly for me, two visits from my parents. I was delighted they had come to see me, to see Zimbabwe, but essentially to see where I lived & worked at Pakati Secondary school. It helped greatly whenever we talked about it years later, they understood far more about my reasons for being there, and what the conditions were like. It became clear to me just what an impact it had on both of them. This was in 2019 when we uncovered my Mum’s written notes about it after she had passed, and again this year as we cleared my parents’ home following my Dad’s passing in late December 2022. We found so much more – photos, slides and memorabilia from their two trips. Both are remembered as Friends of Pakati here on the blog… find out about them here: https://friendsofpakati.com/2019/03/16/saturday-star-a-friend-of-pakati-and-of-zimbabwe/ plus 2 posts about my Dad https://friendsofpakati.com/2022/12/24/merry-christmas-and-other-issues/  and https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/01/15/looking-back-a-very-personal-story/

More to come from the blog soon…

Written by Chris Walker:

In recent months, here at Friends of Pakati, we have reported on a number of promising developments in the area where the Pakati schools lie – Ward 14 in the district of Murewa. It is worth bringing it all together to show what has been going on there. There are 3 Primary schools in the Ward – Chanetsa, Mapanga & Pakati. Their Head teachers have often messaged me with information, stories and photos or short videos. We have been delighted to post much of this material. 

What we have also been delighted about, is the opportunity we had in September/October 2022 to visit all 3 schools (as well as Chanetsa & Pakati Secondaries – we will cover both of them in a separate blog). The Heads are Mr Kadzimu (Chanetsa), Mrs Maenzanise (Mapanga) and Mr Mahachi (Pakati), and we are very grateful to them all & their colleagues for their contributions to the blogs over the years.

 

Having visited &  donated goods to the schools, Friends of Pakati has been keen to follow their progress. In the months since our visit last year, all 3 Primary schools now have affordable Wi-fi – a tremendous development for all Primary school children in Ward 14.

Chanetsa, Pakati & Mapanga have all got new WiFi installations in place in the last 6 months, all the Heads of the 3 schools are delighted. They all see the development as very positive for their students, as they progress through the school systems they will become more IT literate.

All of this is great to hear about, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems – there are. For Pakati Primary in particular, the solar power issue is holding back the school from getting the most out of the WiFi & few computers they have. We need people to help us, help them by donating to http://paypal.me/friendsofpakati or http://gofundme.com/friends-of-pakati

Mapanga Primary has also been able to complete a building project recently for flush toilets with a septic tank, which has been going on for some months. More pictures from Mapanga are below:

It is always good to report positive news from the area’s schools, and we hope to bring more good news to you in future blogs. We also look to show things improving, and to show the reality of life at these schools as it currently is, and talk to people who have links to Pakati schools in some way. Keep reading!

 

Written by Chris Walker:

Greetings all…welcome to this week’s blog!

Some very good news! Recently, Pakati Primary school were the recipients of a government initiative, whereby they are trying to provide internet services to rural primary schools. The wi-fi was installed by government parastatal ZARNET/TELONE. Installation is done to schools who apply for the facility. Information & pictures are courtesy of Mr Chorichi of Pakati Primary school.

Also recently, I met with someone who has been a very keen supporter of Friends of Pakati. Yusef Alam was, until this week, a journalist working for my local newspaper  the Bradford Telegraph & Argus (known locally as the T&A). Thanks to Yusef, we had a number of positive articles published in the paper, and we chatted for some time about how Friends of Pakati has benefitted from the exposure.

In the lead up to our fundraising event in 2022 – Get Tied Up For PAKATI – see https://friendsofpakati.com/get-tied-up-for-pakati-3/ the paper promoted our cause, leading to us getting over £1100 donated. Yusef also published articles about our trip to hand over goods donated in September/October 2022 here: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/20716095.chris-walker-friends-pakati-return-zimbabwe/

This post is therefore to say a big ‘Thank You’ to Yusef for all his help, and wish him success in his new role as a TV researcher.

Delving into Debbie Chadbon’s photos – see https://friendsofpakati.com/2023/04/10/debbies-photos/ – has brought back several memories for me. I have recently posted some on our instagram account (@friendsofpakati), but let me include some more on here:

Taken from Gwangwadza hill, where there are some rack paintings dating back at least 1500 years, Pakati schools are barely visible in the distance in the picture above. Below are pictures of the hill & some of the rock paintings. It is a place I visited often myself.

Debbie took many photos of life at Pakati, which took me back to my own time there, but a couple I posted on Instagram reminded me of the small scale development project I was involved in back in 1990 & 91…only the borehole still survives sadly.

This is the only photo I have seen of the water tank we put up, long since dismantled.

Very common in the area, but not popular among residents around Pakati!

More to follow in the next blog!

On the latest episode of the Friends of Pakati Podcast Takawira Siyawamwaya, a former teacher at Pakati, joins Brad and Chris from a windy Zimbabwe to discuss his career.

Written by Chris Walker:

Following a recent visit to Bristol, where 3 Friends of Pakati (Debbie Chadbon, Chris, and Lorraine Mapuranga) met up together in a reunion for the first time in 30 years or more. We talked a lot about our experiences at the Secondary school, covering 1989 to 1993 as teachers, Acting Head, and as a student. There is a blog out covering the reunion, but I thought it would be great to post some of Debbie’s photos. 

She has a couple of large photo albums from her time in Africa, about half of which is dedicated to Pakati in particular. I have posted quite a few of my own on our www.instagram.com/friendsofpakati page not long ago, but I will add several of Debbie’s soon after this is published here on the blog. Let me start with my own favourite picture from her collection:

This is a very familiar view for me, taken just outside the house I stayed in, & Debbie had the same room as me after I had left when she was at Pakati from September 1991 to August 1993. 

The main difference for me is that the classroom block seen on the right of the picture above is complete, whereas it was unfinished throughout my time. VSO had helped to pay for some of the finishing touches needed, so it was officially opened in 1992, as seen in the next photo.

This was the building on which Debbie painted her World Map, now used as one of our images on our merchandise

Debbie has a few photos taken while she was creating the Map. She said to me that she wasnt’t really much of an artist, but someone had told her it was relatively easy to do – just get a map, divide it into squares, lightly add the same number of larger squares onto the wall, then copy the contents of each square on the wall in outline, and fill it in! Debbie says she didn’t feel particularly safe stood on the metal barrel balanced on top of two desks, but thankfully there were no mishaps.

She did have help from some of her students, and it took around 5 or 6 weekends to complete. Friend of Pakati stalwart Bothwell Riside was still young at the time, but he distinctly remembers being surprised by the fact that she did her painting left-handed!

Debbie was not alone as a VSO volunteer for her first year – her colleague Jayne Beattie seen in the right hand picture, had 12 months at the school, but had to leave earlier for personal reasons. 

Life at the school as depicted by Debbie is a reminder to me of my own experience at Pakati. For example, teachers & students gathering outside the house to talk, cook, keep warm, etc.

It was great to wind down at the end of the day with colleagues, or enjoy the slow pace of life over the weekend with some students passing by. 

Life inside the classrooms was also very familiar to me, teaching was a challenge given the circumstances, but also a real pleasure because of the students themselves. 

Debbie joined in with everyday life at Pakati, pretty much as I did. We shared accommodation with local colleagues, so cooked & ate together on a daily basis.

There are so many more photos from Debbie’s album archive, so keep an eye out on Instagram using the tag @friendsofpakati in the coming days to see more about her stay at Pakati Secondary school!

Written by Chris Walker:

Two former teachers and one former student from Pakati Secondary school met up very recently here in the UK – and we spent a lovely weekend reminiscing & story-telling about our experiences back in 1991, 92 & 93. It has been a real bonus to have the support from both for Friends of Pakati.

Over a recent weekend, the Author travelled to Bristol from his home in Bradford, a journey which took around 6 hours. At the same time, Lorraine Mapuranga travelled from her work in the South East of England to the same place – the home of Debbie Chadbon in Bristol. 

Between 1990 & 1992 Lorraine was taught by both Debbie & myself at Pakati Secondary school, but the last time we all met would have been 1992. I visited the school briefly then, took some photos, and talked to Debbie about how she & her VSO colleague Jayne Beattie were getting on there.

We visited the harbour, walked around the city centre, and ate in a local cafe, all before heading off to see an engineering masterpiece by Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon. The gorge created by the river over time is very impressive, and the bridge is a hugely popular tourist attraction for the city of Bristol. 

The main focus of the weekend however, was all things Pakati-related. In 1992 Debbie had helped Lorraine, and they had become friends. Debbie visited her at her home several times, and this is covered in a number of previous posts featuring both of them.

This blog has, over time, used many of my own personal photos & slides when telling my stories, or adding to others tales. I now find that Debbie has a good number of her own photos, some of which I have already used. This weekend past has allowed me to take photos of her photos so I can use them in future blogs. Below are some pictures from our get-together.