Little St Faith’s red-letter day

17 Nov, 2017 - 00:11 0 Views
Little St Faith’s red-letter day

The ManicaPost

Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent
FRIDAY November 10, 2017 will go down in the history of St Faith’s Primary School as the happiest day since its establishment in 1912.

With the visit of the Cyber Security Minister, Patrick Chamisa, also MP-Makoni Central Constituency, Big Brother Moses Mukoyi of the St Faith’s High School, Guest speaker Lawrence Chisango- CEO Konica Minolta-Zimbabwe, the local headman and councillor, former students of the old Primary school and headmasters from around the constituency, this little school was instantly self- assured it was already too big to remain small.

The headmaster, Mr Shepherd Kureya, in his report chronicled many little achievements the school had made in its humble history, among them its uniqueness in being one of the few schools in Zimbabwe that integrates the so-called normal students , hearing impaired, visually impaired and physically challenged in one institute.

“In order to appreciate the school’s achievements, we all need to understand the numerous challenges that the school faces,” Mr Kureya said citing non-payment of levies by both parents and government sponsored BEAM, non availability of computers for e-learning and inadequate infrastructure and resources like furniture, classrooms, toilets, teachers’ houses and limited electricity supply as some of the serious setbacks.

Mr Kureya could hardly find the words with which to thank Mr Moses Mukoyi’s support without which he said the event would not have taken off, especially connecting the little school to a guest of honour who not only brought a wonderful and moving guest speech with him, but huge gestures of philanthropy in the form of a colour printer and new wheel-chair for one lucky physically challenged beneficiary. Mr Kureya who was Mr Mukoyi’s Literature student at St Augustine’s-Tsambe once upon a time openly expressed appreciation for the latter’s big brother position and attitude in uplifting a brother’s humble primary school.

The guest speaker, speaking from a script not written on paper, but on his heart stunned the audience with his charisma and dramatic eloquence in speech. He drew tears from the audience and at one emotional moment his own tears, when he removed his suit-jacket and neck-tie to show humility and evidence that he was a ordinary human being like everyone around despite being CEO of an internationally acclaimed business corporation. “I was born into a poor family myself and lived through the stigma and reality of the negative legacy of the Mbare Township you all know-in Harare,” said Mr Chisango “…but had no excuse to remain poor and backward. No one has an excuse to remain standing on the starting line of life even if they are physically handicapped or coming from very miserably disadvantaged backgrounds like mine. I closed my eyes and moved towards my success undeterred by those who were lucky to start the race of life ten kilometres ahead of me.”

The Konica-Minolta CEO drew more tears from the silent audience when he removed even his shoes and asked one pupil to count the fingers on his feet-to show he was like them-very ordinary and down to earth.

His tear-drawing but penetrating message which many will remember for the rest of their lives, was simple yet deeply penetrating and motivating: No one has an excuse not to perform and succeed. In typical Obama rhetoric, Mr Chisango lifted the spirits of every child and adult present, able bodied and physically challenged one way or the other: “We can all succeed-We all can do it!” he said repeatedly.

He donated almost all the books, school hand-bags and other prizes won by the pupils who excelled in various areas of the school curriculum, including a mega-digital printer which he donated to Mr Moses Mukoyi to donate to a school of his choice. And the big brother made no mistake. He donated the printer to little St Faith’s. What a gesture of amazing love and brotherhood!

The moment of pleasant shock was when CEO Chisango donated a wheel chair he bought his mother 18 years ago. “My mother suffered a stroke 18 years ago. I bought her this wheel chair which of course she refused to use arguing God would help her without a wheelchair. I have kept it since. When I heard there were physically challenged pupils here I asked her to allow me to donate it to one lucky child in this school. She agreed. Here it is.” It was at that moment everyone saw the hand of God in His people…the people He strategically positions wherever He wants them in all these work places whatever they are, to make life easy for His people one way or the other.

Joining in the pledges to make the humble school rise into a small giant, Minister Chamisa promised to support the community dream to build a boarding school. “If you do your part, make the plan, mould the bricks and dig the foundation I will give you 100 bags cement,” said the minister followed by rapturous applause of appreciation. ‘’ We want to assist those who play their part and put effort in realizing their own dreams.”

The Minister encouraged the former students’ idea of a monthly contribution to an alumni fund to help develop their former school. “I agree the former students and community can contribute little amounts every month towards a common fund to develop the school and we will come in when you have started the ball rolling. That is the idea of development we want-not asking for $50 000 from…who has that kind of money to help? Such written pleas for help I always ask my secretary to throw away in the basket-bin,” Minister Chinamasa said.

When the first speech and prize-giving day came to the end at the end of the day, it was clear that it had not been only a red-letter day, but also a day of covenant where God’s assurance that the little school would never be the same again through all His people who had graced the event, would not be in vain.

In the prophetic words of the benevolent guest speaker, Mr Chisango, the school would never be the same again. “I have come to begin a relationship with you that will go a long way to make the cause of education here tenable and much more meaningful and easy,” Mr Chisango had said. “Schools are one of our major clients. Helping them whenever and wherever we can, in our limited way, is always a pleasure.”

What a red letter day! The Manica Post with hardly some space at all, is happy to donate this story of inspiring motivation in your support. It is our hope that you will soon subscribe to supplies of our newspapers, especially The Manica Post and that whenever you have another good story to tell we will be the first to tell it for you. Whatever you want to celebrate, we are ever ready to be in it together. And what with adverts! The Manica Post supports education. It is always your best friend in teaching and learning.

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