Twaabane Newsletter: September 2014

Basilwizi Trust has published another newsletter on behalf of the Valley communities.
Please follow the following link:
http://www.basilwizi.org/basilwizi/monthly-newsletter/twaabane-newsletter-september-2014

Grinding Mill Project: A necessity

Interviewer: Jacob Mumpande Date: 21 May 2014 Venue: Musuna Grinding Mill

In 2009, Firelight Foundation supported a project targeting Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) here in Musuna. As a group of Home Based Care Givers we led this initiative and were tasked to select an income earning activity from the three originally enlisted projects which are;

·         Goat rearing

·         Gardening

·         Grinding Mill

We dropped Goat rearing project because of lessons learnt from the similarly Lubhancho supported project which was literally a failure. The garden project was also dropped because it was viewed as not viable due to lack of arable land. The grinding mill was ultimately pursued and supported by village leaders and local councillor. The committee had managed to pull resources together from well-wishers and business people in a fashion of the community ownership share scheme. Community contribution was significant at construction stage through labour provisions on collection of pit and river sand, quarry stone as well as providing workmanship. The grinding mill now generates an average $250 each month and this used on running costs and funding educational support. However expenditure patterns break even.

When the grinding mill structure was set up and milling services were functional, several benefits accrued to the community and as well as OVCs who were primary targets as detailed underneath.

Firstly, distance to the nearest grinding mill in Makwa (located 25km away) was reduce once the grinding services were provided locally. Local people used to walk daily to Makwa for milling. The project is now serving 9 villages namely; Dambwamunkulu, Sinebhibhi, Kanejola, Kanjezi, Mapakoendavu, Pingileni, Musuna Hills, Chinoni and Chunga. An average of 40 households per each village are subsequently benefiting from the project on milling their grain.

Secondly, as a community we reduced abuse cases for girl children who usually frequented Makwa for grinding services. These girl children were being waylaid by soldiers and policeman at that time and this scenario was at an unabated levels.

Thirdly, there was success on taking children to school as primary objective of the project. Most OVCs had not been managing to proceed to secondary school due to challenges on user fees. Tawanda Ncube benefited from school fees and food and had since completed his secondary level; Devine Manjankosi got fees for two terms and food hampers before being shifted to BEAM; Mayford Tshuma benefited from school uniforms, stationery, fees and food and proceeds from the grinding mill are currently paying for his ‘’A” level at Binga High School; whereas Tichaona Munkuli and Lungile Sibanda benefited from fees and food hampers also. The said beneficiaries got support all through the form four. Currently, we are supporting three pupils from grinding mill proceeds.

The utmost momentous change perceived by the two CPC formations (adult and child led); and attributed by entire community is reduction in child abuse cases in the ward.  As HBCG, we confirm reduction in HIV prevalence rate in young people which was initially caused by exposure of young children in secluded areas as they made their way to Makwa for grinding services. Sexual related abuse had been topical in Musuna and our community give testimony that indeed child abuse has gone down. This reduction in abuse cases is deemed significant because rape cases had been reduced considerably as well as STI/HIV and AIDS prevalence rate. Children were physically abused as lower primary pupils would that time before the grinding mill seen carrying 20kg of grain to a distance 25km to get to the grinding mill. 

Forward planning for the project is completing workmanship at the grinding mill and use storerooms to put deep freezer to rent out to fish traders. The project had so far put up extra material to resume refurbishment of the structure. The project is also exploring other means of expanding the project in terms of service provisions like ordering bulk maize in high production zones like Lusulu (Binga) and produce, process and package straight run mealie-meal in light of value addition.

As a grinding mill committee we had been voluntarily providing administrative service as well as labour to ensure the project is carried forward. The only benefit for committee members had been milling for a free once in each month.

Enhanced Social Status

Interviewers: Jacob Mumpande and Blessing Munkuli    Date: 23 July 2014

Metron Muleya during the interview

In 2003 my father died when I was still at primary school and my mother was faced with torrid times raising fees for me, my elder sister and siblings. Inheritance of my father’s estate depleted productive assets like livestock and there were certainly no safety nets for optional pursuance for social expenditure like education. Besides the resource challenges, I used to walk 9 kilometres one way to the nearest primary school.   My education was headed for extermination.   My family situation really got worse when I went to secondary school.

As the situation was tipping off, my sister’s husband took over responsibility on user fees from meagre earnings from his employment as a driver. Due to paltry resources I went to school with inadequate material as compared to other children and used to be sent out of school for non-payment and or failing to meet other school material requirements. This had immense psychological effect on me.  In as much as my sister’s husband took over the burden from my mother; I was still not settled at all because this meant more responsibilities apart from struggling with insufficient income to take care for his own family.

I had exceptional performance at grade seven final examinations and in form one in 2006, Capernaum Trust paid my school fees at Binga High School. However I was dropped in midterm in 2007 for indistinct reasons and was highly affected to get to terms with dropping school which seemed probable. At the time when my brother in law was making transfer arrangements for me to Manjolo Secondary School which is in rural Sikalenge; Basilwizi Trust through its Education Support project supported me with school fees up to form four three in 2009. I was actually recommended by school staff. Under Basilwizi Trust support, my mother managed to make small servings earned from vending and used this income to send other siblings to school and at times used the money towards school material.

Jacob Mupande (right) taking down notes during the interview

At ‘O’ level results I attained 9 ‘O’ level (with 8 subjects scored in one sitting).  At Advanced level I scored 8 points from 2 subjects (Economics and Business Management). I later scored a point after I studied on my own from home to make a total of 9 points at Advanced level. 

I am now an educated woman and my intellectual being earned me a job as Finance Officer at Zubo Trust; a women empowerment organisation focused on promoting women and girl child’s rights in the Zambezi Valley. Now that I am working, I sent my elder sister back to school who had failed her initial ‘O’ level sitting and I also pay fees for my sister who is now in form three. My elder sister now has 4 ‘O’ level passes. I am similarly providing for family essential needs back at home. I contribute towards family food expenditure and essentials like sanitary ware.

In 2011, I decided to upgrade myself and enrolled for an Honours Degree in Accounting and Financial Management at Lupane State University through a block format. I chose the block format because of its flexibility to allow students to be studying whilst employed. This arrangement enables me to raise money and fund my own education.

The most significant change is social status I earn in my society through my education which opened my mind to make informed choices as I prepare to shape my future. Many girl children envy my small achievements so far realized. Passing my ‘O’ level is very substantial benefit to me because if I was out of school at tender age I would be having illogical ideas about building my future. I know for sure that lack of occupation was going to push me into early marriage and eventually would be a mother of several children at this point. My community appreciate that a girl child can be a future leader through determination. My success to date has led to changes in the way communities view education today. For example, as a beneficiary, I am now able to pay my siblings school fees and even providing the family with some other needs. This then translates to poverty reduction and time for girl children to realize that they can also make changes in their families.   

Young girls are learning from my career path to success and passing my Ordinary level had positive trickle down effect both at personal level and community. Young as I am; I am regarded as a household head and economically active. I also make decisions and relevant advices to community and women’s groups in my community. Community is now sending their girl children with consented effort to school as a way of empowering them and ushering them into novel life skills. The number of school drop outs has further reduced in Manjolo and Sikalenge community since parents have realized

the importance of education. Early and forced marriages as a way of getting bride price had been reduced too since many girl children are occupied with their education and have gained confidence on their rights. Previously, girl children were reserved for marriages and boys for herding cattle and nowadays they are all taken to school with a similar attitude for success and benefiting equally.

I wish Basilwizi Trust continues fundraising for the education support, especially for the girl child because the girl child has very little chance to bounce back to the preferred career path once she miss orientation and guidance whilst in school.   Out of 5 pupils supported with fees only two were girls and this depicts a very big gender disparity which needs urgent notice and attention. The motivating aspect from this support is that all the five pupils supported passed their ordinary level.

 

Zambezi Valley Child making it abroad (Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders: Abbigal Muleya)

POSTED ON JULY 17, 2014 BY SYDNEY 

@ http://mamamaji.wordpress.com/

In May we were approached by Tulane University and asked if we wanted to work with and mentor two of the Fellows they were receiving through the Young African Leaders Initiative. We were, of course, thrilled to be a part of that program.

The Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) that empowers young people through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking. Fellowships provide outstanding young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. university, and with support for professional development after they return home. -Young African Leaders Initiative website

Across the entire continent of Africa, 50,000 young leaders applied for this program and only 500 were accepted. The program was said to be more competitive than a Harvard scholarship. For the last seven weeks we have been working with two of these Fellows, one from Zimbabwe and one from Tanzania, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to tell their stories.

Abbigal introducing herself and her beliefs to the American Business Women’s Association of New Orleans.

ABBIGAL’S STORY: IT WAS NEVER ON A SILVER PLATE, YET IT TURNED INTO GOLD

My name is Abbigal Muleya, I am from back of beyond. I hold a bachelor of Honors degree in African Languages and Culture- a degree that I did not acquire because my parents were able to send me to school, but because of the well-wishers and Associations that identified me from the deep rural areas of Binga district. I was given this opportunity because I had excelled at my primary level grade seven results and my parents could not pay for my fees for me to advance with my studies. This is not because they did not want to, but because they were not employed and there was no viable economic activity from the land. Wild animals have infested the land. In fact the residents were forcibly relocated to this land upon the construction of the Kariba dam- the major electricity generator in the region. These and other factors contributed to the underdevelopmennt of my community. Most girls and women with the potential, who did not have the ‘favor’ I got in life, are drowning with their capabilities.

Because I was sponsored by a girls’ scholarship organization, I consider this my way of giving back. I am being driven by the fact that once I am able to facilitate the process of women empowerment, the women will be able to start up economic empowerment activities and consequently support their children, and particularly the girl child who is usually given secondary preference in my community.

To bring women together for self-empowerment, we set up economic empowerment programmes in consultation with the rural women beneficiaries. The focus of each individual program depended on the predominant natural resource to the area Some of the projects included fishing:

Basket weaving from the ilala palm tree:

Gardening by the women’s forums:

There is also the utilisation of marulla and baobab fruit trees and value addition of these. Recently, the women have embarked on ecotourism as well as fish farming projects. Out of these, the women have sent their children to school and paid for their school fees as well as stationary. Some have sent the children even up to advanced levels in education- I feel so good. Decent meals are being enjoyed as well.

Women now have access to valuable resources. They also have ownership of the valuable assets that they have acquired during the empowerment process. Some of the valuable assets include land and cattle and they even have control over these. They have gained respect from their husbands and the community at large. As a way of appreciating this, and encouraging other women, I join with the women and others in commemorating big women’s days such as the International Women’s Day as shown below:

I have managed to impact on over 1,000 women on these programmes directly, and indirectly more than 2,000 other women, men and children have benefited as well. I am so happy that I managed, and still manage to impact on other young women’s lives.

Apart from what I do at my organisation, I also run a small profitable shop where I sell salon products and also run a salon and a barber at the same time. What inspired me to do so was the fact that each time I talked to the women about entrepreneurship, I felt like I was just making noise because I did not practice it myself. I told myself I must lead by example and live my talk.

Right now the women visit my shop and get inspiration in the process. Even the elite women have learnt from my business. They have learnt from my passion on education as a liberating tool especially to a woman.

When you educate one, you educate the whole nation!!!

Abbigal showing a girl how to carry a jug of water at the Girl Scouts Louisiana East STEM Extravaganza.

Because I am a leader in my community, both men and women respect me and ask me to speak on my road to success. I feel so humbled. I have managed to attend tertiary education- something very difficult coming from such a community. I have managed to set up a non-profit and a for-profit at the same time. I am currently a fellow in Barack Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative, a program that was “more competitive than applying for a Harvard scholarship” according to the US Ambassador in Zimbabwe and I am dining with queens and kings.

I am seeing myself shining more and transforming a lot more lives of women mostly, but also men, boys and girls. I wish many more women from my community will join me. That is my passion, this is my cry, and this is my daily prayer: to see complete liberation of women in my community.

I am Changemaker. I am a Catalyst!

Adopted from: http://mamamaji.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/washington-fellowship-for-young-african-leaders-abbigal-muleya/

Repair our roads urgently

By Blessing Munkuli

Binga community appeals to the Government through the responsible ministry and the District Development Fund (DDF) to come to the rescue of the people of the District whose roads are in bad state.

Most roads in the district are not passable and they are now even worse than they were prior 1980. The DDF has totally failed to maintain or repair their roads.

After the destructive rains which hit Binga during the rainy season, villagers were expecting to see the government coming to repair these roads but surprisingly nothing has been done until today and this has forced bus companies to withdraw servicing the district.

Villagers are now walking very long distances to reach the nearest bus stations.

The Members of Parliament (MP) from the two constituencies are seemingly failing to address the villagers’ plight who voted them into Parliament hence villagers are bitter about it.

“They are silent about the issue because they visit the area only when it is time to campaign for another term in office that is when they come to promising us that all roads will be tarred. Siabuwa road has long been used as a campaign tool by politician in Binga North Constituency up to today the road is still not tarred and road users have even abandoned the road for its unbearable corrugations,” said one of the villagers.

There is no single tarred road in this district which is very rich in natural resources. We are being taken for granted in Binga.

People of Binga hope that Binga-Siabuwa, Binga-Lusulu, Kariyangwe-Lubimbi and Lusulu-Gwayi roads be repaired urgently before many lives are lost in accidents due to bad road networks.

Bravo Chitete Primary School

By Blessing Munkuli

Chitete Primary School Ngoma Buntibe

Group dancing and blowing horns                               

Chitete Primary School Ngoma Buntibe left the audience jovial after performing the Buntibe cultural rite at the 2014 Day of the African Child Commemoration on the 17th of July 2014 at Mucheni Primary School.

The group celebrated the death of the African Children who were killed on June 16 1976, for the fight for free, fair and quality education in Soweto.
The group of young stars brag of having a unique culture hence called people aboard in celebrating the Day of the African Child through a song “Muboole muzoobone/come and see” sung along the Nyeele and Ngoma Rhythm.
The young and energetic Ngoma Buntibe group’s performance raised both the young and the old’s spectators’ spirit to the extent of joining in the dance, with one old lady taking over one drum known as “Ga-ga-ga/Kantu-ntu-ntu” and other drums taken over by men, making it hard to stop the dance for the master of ceremony to proceed with the program.
Chief Sinansengwe, while enjoying the cultural performance asked on how one can stop Buntibe for the sake of progressing with the program.
“How do you stop Buntibe?” asked the chief.
The chief’s question implies that Buntibe has a spiritual attachment to the BaTonga hence trying to stop someone in an ecstatic state is nothing but a futile exercise as you hardly can succeed.
Such an outstanding performance was not anticipated as stakeholders were left astounded; they did not have it in their minds that children could be that perfect in their cultural performance as it is thought that young people are barely involved in such cultural rites.
Buntibe touches the spirit of a Tonga child. It is normally used to appease the ancestors hence it is a form of praise and worship in the BaTonga Culture.
This rite is passed down from generation to generation. Chitete Primary school is not performing Buntibe as a way of culture showcasing but as a way of preserving the great treasure the BaTonga have.
The chief gave credit to the primary school for that.
“Chitete is doing well in the upkeep of our culture. This is what all schools in Binga should strive for as it teaches children of who they are. This is their right as well,” said the chief.

Old man dancing to the rhythm

Boys blowing horns

 








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District Health Quiz

By Blessing Munkuli

Siansundu Secondary team

Lusulu High School team

National AIDS Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education organized District High Schools’ HIV/AIDS Quiz which was held on the 12^th of June 2014.

The quiz sessions was graced bydelegates who included the District Administrator (DA), Basilwizi Trust Health Project and Media Officers, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development and the Ministry of Youth, Development and Employment Creation as well as Ntengwe for Community Development.

The core value of the quiz was to increase information dissemination on HIV in schools.

Binga High School outwitted co-participantswith 78 points, Manjolo High School making it up to 77, Tinde High School 74, Lusulu High School 68, whilst Siansundu Secondary sat at 58 points.

The excelling school will participate in the Provincial High School Health Quiz in Bulawayo on the 27^th of June 2014.

Binga DA, Banda Ndethi, having attended the session, congratulated the winning team on making it to the top of the list.

“Last year, you came out first and you did it again this year. Congratulations Binga High for excelling again.” she said.

Binga DA: Ndethi

She also gave a strengthening message to other teams who did not make it to the top of the list. 

“As we all know that in a competition, not everyone makes it to the top, one team has to make it among the best teams, Binga High has become the best because all teams participated actively. We hope that next time, another team will make it to the top,” she said.

Prizes were awarded to top three teams, with the third team getting out with US$20, the second team with US$30 and the first team with US$50.

The DA pointed out that HIV/AIDS Education is minimally done in schools.

“Participants relied on guessing answers during the quiz sessions, which shows that not much ground is being covered in schools on the HIV/AIDS area,” she said

Much appreciation was given to participating schools which made it in short notice to the competition. Some schools, such as Tyunga Secondary and Siabuwa High School failed to make it as they pointed out that they ‘were not given much time to prepare’ compared to Lusulu High School which made up to it just a night before the competition.