Friends Of Pakati

Many thanks to all who have been following this blog, and to those who have contributed this year either by deed or donation. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏Tatenda, we thank you👍🏽👍🏽

Seasons greetings to everyone who is a Friend of Pakati 🎄🎁🍾🎉

” I think at the moment internet connection is a noble idea, as time moves on if accessible more PCs are required.

I wish to see Pakati schools as the hub of IT studies in Murewa and/or the province as a whole.” Nickson Munemo Dzimauta

“….in response to your questions on what to be done next here is my view. 28 years ago I was a student at Pakati, if you remember my story I posted sometime in April, I stated that life for us as students was so difficult as we used to share 4 or 5 textbooks in the whole class. This was not good at all. And following up on your recent posts of 2019 I find out there’s still no change of availability of stationery at the school..if I may take it more practical, it means I suffered textbook scarcity, thus my child at Pakati also suffers the same and so does my grandchild…it’s high time things get to change.. thanks to the computer donation, I suggest and recommend that there must be a printer at the school so that more stationery can be availed. During tests students must have a feel of the real Zimsec exams where each individual has their own question papers. It’s high time we see changes coming up through the already donated computers and make use of them effectively and benefit all.” (Lorraine Mapuranga)

Adding the above comments to those in the previous post, it seems clear to me there are a number of issues which are uppermost in the minds of people concerned about Pakati schools. Reading all the comments, I have come to the conclusion that friendsofpakati needs to have a list of priorities. I doubt we can cover everything suggested, but below is what I feel the most important issues are:

Internet.

Printer and paper.

Security.

More computers.

Text books.

Desks/seating.

Here are my thoughts on each item…

Internet: The first few computers delivered in September will come into their own once the internet is available. It offers students and teachers access to so much more information, advice, and educational material.

Printer and paper: With a lack of available text books, then once internet is set up then a printer for each school will be useful, so they can print out copies of relevant material, e.g. things like past exam papers.

Security: Both schools will need additional, improved security for the rooms in which the computers will be used. Better burglar bars on the windows and additional door security is needed.

More computers: In order to offer formal IT lessons, each school needs at least 10 computers. Currently they both have 5, so extra ones are needed. This will raise another question though – electricity supply. At present the supply is irregular, and both rely on solar power during the day.

Text books: It is sad to see that even now 30 years on from my time as a teacher at Pakati Secondary school, there are too few text books for the number of students.

Desks/seating: As with books, not enough desks and/or seats for the students. On top of that, there is now a requirement for seats with back support for the students.

I would like to add something else into the mix too….the overall classroom environment inside could use a spruce up, as could the admin block at the Secondary. Ceilings, a lick of paint, doors and windows? The schools budgets are stretched, so I appreciate that would not be their highest priorities.

So…..having laid out the priorities, in order, the next question is about raising funds. What can I do this coming year? suggestions please…ideas for events welcome, large or small. Usual contacts please – on facebook, twitter, comments on here and/or email. See our contacts page for full details.

I am posing some questions for you all, as friends of Pakati, to try and answer. I want to hear your views. In an earlier blog post I did start to ask about what happens next year, and there are some comments already which I will add to this article for you to consider before adding your own.

The two Pakati schools, like many others in rural areas of Zimbabwe, face a number of problems. Sadly I am limited to what help I can give, and I am only really able to help Pakati due to my strong personal links and affiliation to its surrounding community. The first comment I shall quote comes from Mr Mugove Chifaka the Head of Pakati Secondary school, and gives an idea of the sort of challenges which lie ahead:

“Good afternoon Chris. Regarding the issues you have raised, we surely need more PCs but we need to install stronger security burglar bars to the staff room for the safety of the computers already in our possession. We included the expected security expenditure in our 2020 budget propopals which was agreed upon by parents in a General meeting held on 3 December. We submitted the application for approval to the ministry on Friday 6 December. We surely need internet access.

The other things we need are tables and chairs for the students. The ministry now wants sitting places with back rests for Students and we need such furniture for 300 students.
We also wish to improve our grounds by better landscaping, which in turn calls for better fencing. This is a few of the things in our plan if finances allow, but as you are aware, our economy is not stable at all but we just plan.”

Here are other comments, with the senders’ name attached:

“Good question you raised in the blog.
I think it is best to add more computers at first then install internet when there is an increased number of computers so that it is easier for most of the pupils to gain access.” (Vatonatsa Foundation)

“….though i respect your suggestions I would like to view it from a different angle, Text books have become a scarce resource and unaffordable at the moment. So with the few computers we have its better we connect to internet first, and source a printer so that we can print our own books from the internet. At that recent school meeting I was told by the Head that at present each class have just 5 text books being shared by the teachers and an average of 55 if not 60 pupils, a very sad senario indeed.” (Councillor Israel Maliki)

“…. My opinion is that if both can not be managed, preference should be connecting to the internet, more computers can be added with time while the present ones are being fully utilised” (Talent Mutyavaviri. teacher at Pakati Secondary school)

So, my questions are about listing priorities really, and about how to fundraise for whatever those priorities are. How do you see the priorities? Should friends of Pakati expand to cover more of Mr Chifaka’s concerns? Or should we limit it to just IT equipment? How should I/we fundraise? Big events like the sponsored walk this year, or a series of smaller ones? A mixture? What type of activities? Whatever suggestions you have please send them via Facebok, twitter, Whats app, email or comment on here. I will post your ideas and suggestions on here, consult with contacts, then post the outcomes in a follow-up post. Thank you all.

This is the last part of my review of the year! Meet some of the friends of Pakati I met this year, and a friend of Pakati who worked there just after I did. I had intended to discuss what happens with this project for next year – some questions, comments and a request for ideas and feedback – but that is now going to be a separate, individual article.

I will start with my hosts in Zimbabwe during late September/early October this year…they were both amazing and generous hosts, whose welcome was better than I could have received by any 5* hotel.

Next, I feel I should try and cover those I met who I knew from my time at Pakati between 1989 and 1991….very moving for me, particularly the first person shown here. Thomas was the person who took me around the area in his van occasionally, and became a close friend. I celebrated at least one birthday with him and his friends and family.

Next, here are some of the people I met during my visit to Zimbabwe this year

Some other friends of Pakati from earlier in the year

Here we meet the elusive Debbie Chadbon, another former teacher at Pakati. She has proven difficult to track down, but persistence paid off. She got in contact just a few weeks ago, and has sent some photos snd stories, the outline of which appeared on a recent blog post.

This brings an end to the review of 2019 for Friends of Pakati. A momentous year, with so nany amazing memories for me. I am genuinely touched by the response of people both in Zimbabwe and in the UK to this project, as well as those across the world who have kept in touch and encouraged/supported all we have done. I can tell you, Pakati people are delighted with progress so far…..my next post will look more closely at what Friends of Pakati might do next year, as we look to you, the real friends of Pakati, for ideas, thoughts, suggestions on fundraising as well as what help is needed, and where the priorites lie.

Welcome to Part 4 of our review of 2019! What an eventful year it has been, leading up to the events described below. For me, the author, Chris Walker, a genuinely moving, humbling but also momentous few days at Pakati were capped by the formal handover of donated goods to both schools. Read on….

I was met by my relative, Donna, where I stayed for my first night back in Zimbabwe. The computers, equipment and football shirts were delivered to Donna’s place a week or so before my arrival.

Next day, my friend and host Bothwell arrived to collect me and the packages, to take us to Pakati.

Arriving at school after a couple of hours driving, it was a real pleasure to meet my friend Mugove Chifaka, the Head of the Secondary school, again. He was instrumental in the setting up of the project, involving the Primary school, and making sure local protocols were followed correctly. Also I enjoyed meeting the staff again, and of course seeing the students too.

We then set up a computer and a laptop to check if the goods had survived the journey undamaged.

Next day, Friday 27th September, everything gradually came together for an utterly memorable day for me….the official presentation of the donated goods to Pakati schools. We had a number of important guests – including the following: local MP Honourable Jonah Sewera, CEO of Murewa Rural District Council Dr Gurajane, local councillor Alderman Israel Maliki for Ward 14, other councillors from nearby Wards, Local village Headmen, School Development Committee members from both schools, Heads and staff from both schools, and, of course, parents and students from both schools. We also had visitors from a local organisation which supports under priveleged children, Vatonatsa Founddation, Vari and Holly. Below are just a few of the hundreds of photos taken at the event…a little taste of the day.

During the event, a number of students came forward to give short pieces of entertainment. Some poems were read out before and in between speeches. Here below are those poems:

Poems recited by learners from Pakati Secondary School in showing appreciation to Mr Christopher Walker for the computers that he donated to the school

Who am I?
By Belinda Machika form 1A
I am not a person but I can think
I am not a person but I can communicate
I am not a person but I can see
Who am I?
I am a computer

Without me life is difficult
Without me life is not sweet
Without me life is a misery
Who am I?
I am a computer

I can send messages
I can show videos
I can play audios
I can calculate equations
I can do many things
Who am I?
I am a computer

Takanga takasara
(We were lagging behind)
By Laverty Chiunya form 1A
Takanga takasara (we were lagging behind)
Takanga takasara chokwadi takanga takasara
(We were indeed lagging behind)
Takavata pachikoro pedu tisina chizvinozvino
(We were lacking modernity at our school)

Mazita Takanga tanzwa nawo ekunemerwa
(We were being given names)
Zvanzi vekumachonyonyo
(We were identified as people from remote areas)
Zvanzi veshure
(We were called backward people)
Zvanzi vakasara
(We were called primitive people)

Vadzidzisi vaiita man`a mumaoko nekunyora pachidziro nechoko
(Our teachers were developing cracks on their fingers as a result using chalk to write notes on the chalkboard)
Vana tichizvimba maoko nekunyora manotes mumabhuku
(Learners fingers were swelling as a result of writing huge amounts of notes in their note books)

Macomputer pfacha pano paPakati
(Now that computers are here at Pakati)
Vadzidzisi vodzidzisa nemavideos
(Teachers are now using videos in their lessons)
Manotes ongonzi name pachidziro neprojector
(Notes are now being projected on the chalkboard)
Magames takuita saruraude
(We now have many games to play on the computers)
Maemails tongotumira patadira
(We can now send emails)
Kuwatsura hauzomboda
(We can now communicate on WhatsApp platform)
Kuzoti kugoogler painternet, huya zvako uone
(We can now research on the internet)

Mazviita
(Thank you)

Thank You Mr Walker
By Sydney Jeke form 2 learner

Thank you Mr Walker, thank you sir
Thank you for giving us computers
Thank you for giving us football jerseys
We shall forever be grateful

Now we can play games on the computers
Now we can watch educational videos
Now we can look smart in our football jerseys
Our school can now print examinations papers
Thank you Mr Walker and all the friends of Pakati schools
We hope this is just the beginning of greater things to come
Thank you

After the weekend, myself, Bothwell, Councillor Maliki, and the staff at both schools were involved in setting up the computers and laptops at both schools, getting a few students in to try them out and have a short lesson in basic IT.

This really was the culmination of the work began in 2018. I want to personally thank everyone involved, be they students or staff at the schools, VIP guests, visitors, those who looked after me in Zimbabwe, donors of goods, time, effort including walking, or money, or publicity, or who have supported this project in any wway this year – a MASSIVE THANK YOU!!!

There will now be another part to this review….including people I met this visit, Miss Chadbon, and where the project goes in 2020 all to come in part 5!

Welcome to Part 3 of friendsofpakati.com review of 2019!

In July this year I went to Horsforth in Leeds to visit the Stephenson Group, where their IT manager Stuart Pine lived up to his promise to friendsofpakati.com by handing over several desktop PCs, monitors and other IT equipment which included keyboard and mouse for each PC.

I used a portion of the funds raised to add significantly to the equipment. I added to the number of monitors to match the number of desktop computers. I added 2 laptops, bought an 8th desktop, and added a mixture of cables and multi-socket plug extensions.

Having brought them to my home in Bradford, I enlisted the help of my son Daniel, and he helped to set up and test out the equipment. Using our home wi-fi, he installed basic software including internet security for free.

Once all the equipment was ready, early in September, Dan and I drove down to Leicester where we met the owners and workers at Coedma Freight International. This was the company chosen to transport everything to Harare, Zimbabwe, and deliver it to a secure address awaiting my visit to collect at the end of September.

Having used another large part of donated funds to pay for the transporting of the goods all the way from Bradford to Harare. By mid-September I learned everything had been safely delivered to the secure address in Harare where I would collect them later in the month.

In late August, I finally had the official presentation of funds donated by Scunthorpe United thanks to the Chairman, Peter Swann. As he was away, CEO Jim Rodwell did the presentation, and proceeded to donate some more club shirts to Pakati.

While this was going on, two local Scunthorpe United fan groups were helping with publicity (Iron Bru and Iron Trust) and donations of memorabilia to sell for additional funds (Iron Trust). A lot of football shirts were given to sell, and another Iron fan (Simon) used his knowledge of the market to raise money via ebay sales.

During this time I had frequent contact with people in the Pakati area, and coninued to receive stories and photos showing life in the area.

So the final instalment of the review of the year will be along in a few days, and will cover all of the extraordinary events around the delivery and handover of all donated goods in late September, contact with another former teacher, plus the discussions of what we do in 2020.

This second part of the review of 2019 covers the sponsored walk, football shirts, promise of donation to fundraising campaign, sports at Pakati and profiles from Pakati people.

The planned sponsored walk between Bradford City football ground and Scunthorpe United football ground took place in late April over 3 days, in the lead up to the match between the two clubs. The participants were the author, his son Daniel along with girlfriend Alice for all 3 days, and Scunthorpe fan Brian plus Bradford fan Karen for the final leg into Scunthorpe.

Over the 3 days we travelled around 57 miles/90km, over mostly hilly ground in the early part of the walk, before flattening out in the later stages. Here are a few photos to remind us of what we went through..

After the walk, we had lunch in the club restaurant. After the meal I was interviewed by the club, and was then presented with some match-worn football shirts which turns out were valuable – an unexpected source of further income for the fundraising campaign!

There then followed a number of donations of shirts by fans of the club, both individually and via supporters groups. They were both for sale to raise funds, or to be sent to Pakati for students to use.

The club also gave a number of shirts from the past two seasons, which were to be sent to Pakati schools.

At the end of the meal, before the Scunthorpe versus Bradford game, one last surprise for me – club Chairman Peter Swann came over to congratulate us on the walk, then promptly offered to match whatever we raised by the start of the next season! More on this in the next part of the review….

Whilst this was going on in the UK, life was going on as normal at Pakati – lessons, sports, etc.

For supporters of the project, including former students, the chance to tell their stories also continued. One particular former student of mine gave us three instalments of her personal, inspiring story – Lorraine Mapuranga.

I found the above picture when helping to clear out my late mother’s things, and it brought back so many good memories of my time as a teacher at Pakati Secondary school, between January 1989 and August 1991. Happy days indeed…

More in part 3 soon, including computer donations, goods being sent, organising the delivery to Zimbabwe, accepting the donation of funds, then, finally in part 4, the actual delivery of goods to Pakati, celebrations, the story of another former teacher from the UK, and discussions of where we go in 2020.

Welcome to this first part of the Review of 2019 at Pakati.

The story of this year really began in 2018 when I revisited Pakati Secondary school for the first time since 1992….I met the current Headmaster, Mr Mugove Chifaka, and this project was born out of our discussions. Computers for both Primary and Secondary became my motivation. I set about planning things: Publicity. Social Media. Fundraising. Activities. Donations. Contact. Visiting.

The project was being organised from October 2018, and planned to launch January 16th, 2019, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of my starting work at Pakati Secondary school through the international development charity, VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). By the time of the launch date, much of the important vehicles for publicity were already in place – Website/blog, Twitter, gofundme page, email, and within a couple of weeks, Facebook page. Soon after the launch, key publicity messages were getting spread, particularly in my home area of Scunthorpe.

BBC Radio Humberside picked up the story too…and their sports programme broadcast a live interview which lead to the Stephenson Group getting involved as a donor of computers. It also lead to the start of an unseen bonus – football shirts.

During the early months of 2019 I found myself training towards the largest fundraising event I had planned – a sponsored walk between two football grounds – Bradford City ( the city I live in) and Scunthorpe United (the town I am from and club I support) – in the days leading up to the match between the two sides near the end of April.

During this time and throughout the time since my visit I was in regular contact with at first staff, and later former students of Pakati schools. These gave me valuable insights into life there according to the local community themselves, with stories, photos videos and most interestingly, individual profiles. Telling these stories brought Pakati to life for people here in the UK who became interested in my project.

I was able to show what it is like to live and learn in what is a typical rural community in Zimbabwe, and discuss what, if anything, has changed since I was there 30 years before. To do that I had help from many friends old and new who were willing to tell their stories here on the blog. Possibly the most remarkable story was that of my now close friend, Bothwell Riside. His tale of growing up in real poverty but succeeding in becoming very well educated is genuinely moving and inspiring.

Sports play a very important role in school life at both Pakati schools, and they frequently out-perform some of their larger local rival scools.

As I prepared for the walk, developed the blog, publicised fundraising, promoted the stories and grew my list of contacts, I was stopped in my tracks in mid-March, as my Mother passed away after a long battle with dementia. The blog I posted naming her as a true Friend of Pakati was both heartbreaking for me, but also celebrated an important event in her life according to her own words, the two visits my parents made to Zimbbabwe in 1990 and 91. Her first visit brought her to Pakati as she wanted to see where I was living and working. Only as we went through her personal things did we realise how profound an impact it all had on her.

This first part of the review will end here….but there is more to come! The Walk, the funds raised, football shirts, planned visit, donations collected and delivered, actual vist and celebrations, plus, of course, ongoing life at both Pakati schools.

Today schools have closed across Zimbabwe for the Christmas break (and therefore Summer Holidays – it is in the Southern Hemisphere!).

Today Pakati students will have received their reports from their teachers, to take home to their families.

While the preparation for reports has been going on for some days…..

….School Development Committees have been discussing pressing issues….

…while some students have been entertaining themselves on the school laptop!

Still to come in future posts:

More articles on development projects in the area

A review of the year at Pakati

Where this project goes in 2020

More personal stories & pictures from people associated with Pakati & the community

The author received more information yesterday following the blog posted about small scale development projects in and around the Pakati area. This was about the planting of the crop of Moringa plants from Vari Marez of Vatonatsa Foundation, along with some more photos…

This was produced by Heather Chimoga Orphancare, another charity organization in Murewa Ward 1 where VaTonatsa team and Mapanga staff went for training on how to grow Moringa.

In the picture above is Varaidzo Mayenzanise the Founding Director at VaTonatsa and Mr Chris Ediyeti the Head of Projects at Heather Chimoga Orphancare showing a 2 meter tall Moringa plant ready for harvesting.

This project is backed and supported by Hans Hafnugel of Kolibrierhos Initiative, who is a friend to Vatonatsa Foundation, based in Germany. There is more to come soon on other projects by the Foundation.