The ManicaPost
By Tobias Mlambo-Mubhangi
“Among fellow school heads, I can now walk tall.”
| Rimbi Rural Day High School in Chipinge celebrated the dawn of a glorious chapter in the history of the school when the institute’s long cherished dream of being a proud owner of a school bus arrived at the school on Friday, 15 October 2016 and the dream-like attainment was celebrated with pomp. |
When the idea of purchasing a school bus was mooted sometime ago, sceptics and doom merchants scoffed at it as a grandiose project foredoomed to failure.
Key stakeholders had to stoically endure the ignominy of being perceived as living in dreamland, but to their huge relief, it is now a reality, the school’s proudest possession takes pride place in the school premises under the legendary giant Mucha tree.
Granted for a rural day high school incessantly hamstrung by financial woes, realisation of a project of such gargantuan proportions is not a walk in the park, but a Herculean task. Even so, driven by a dogged determination, the ambitions project has even since been on the front burner.
The prime movers of the schools development, notably the present and former school administration and school development committee had no illusions about the assignment, and never felt daunted by the enormity of the task ahead. Instead banking on the lavish and unwavering support of parents and key stakeholders, they were spurred on to succeed by remaining bullish and steadfast in their conviction that the bus project was within the realms of possibility.
Commendably, the inscriptions on the bus, funded by parents and the CBZ Bank logo, with the inscriptions, “Financed by CBZ Bank Limited — Partners for success”, are fitting acknowledgement.
The grand occasion started with a huge procession from Mbeure Business Centre, about five kilometres from Rimbi High School. As the cavalcade crawled into Rimbi Business Centre, a bumper crowed went totally gaga over the bus. As befits a crowning glory the milestone was greeted with rhapsodies of praises.
The arrival of a gaggle of schoolchildren added to the gaiety of the jamboree. As the bus chugged into the school
yard at a deliberate pace tooting piercingly , teachers, parents and students were enormously excited, and the school bus mania sweeping the country was particularly prevalent.
Prominent local businessman and former SDC Secretary, Mr Gondai Mathabuka, who provided his popular powerful PA system , gave an extra ambience to the occasion with his enthralling musical entertainment.
The momentous occasion to celebrate the crowning achievement was graced by notables: local businesspersons and traditional leaders, CBZ Bank Checheche branch manager, Chipinge Rural District Council chief executive officer, District Administrator, District Schools Inspector and Educational Inspector.
Speakers that included the SDC chair Mr Douglas Mlambo-Chibhamu and chairperson of the steering committee, Dr Mbodza, all paid tribute to the architects of the project and key stakeholders , notably parents for their collaborative endeavours that had proved beyond doubt, that such prodigious projects are not the preserve of schools with oodles of money.
Rimbi High School head Mr Phineas Mutenda, could hardly contain his excitement as he hailed the major purchase as welcome fillip to the school’s public appeal. “Among fellow school heads, I can now walk tall”, enthused the ecstatic school head.
He applauded parents and other stakeholders for their unqualified support and appealed to them to unfailingly continue to honour their financial obligations to the school. He went on to assure parents thus, “Indeed we are poised for more successes in our strenuous endeavours to transform this school into the epitome of a modernistic rural day high school.
Chipinge schools district inspector Mr Gabaza, who was the guest of honour, dazzled the crowd with his charm and verbal dexterity. He took the audience through the school’s development from a humble institution with a paltry 78 students in 1981, to today’s giant-size school with an enrolment of 1 124. He duly commended the school for outstanding high A-Level pass rates that oscillate between 95 percent and 100 percent, and underlined the need to raise the bar at O-Level.
The district schools inspector hailed fruition of the bus project as a trend-setting achievement among rural day high schools, some of which ensconce themselves in their comfort zones and shy away from lofty ambitions, resulting in stasis or stagnation.
“Modern school administrators and school development committees should be-game changers,” noted the district school boss. He urged stakeholders to continue dreaming and have high ambitions. Related to this exhortation, prominent motivational writer, Milton Kamwendo had this to say, “Dreams are free, yet few dream big,”
Commendably, as the development of Rimbi Rural Day High School moves into top gear, construction of a low cost boarding facility for girls is already underway — thanks to the school’s long-time partner — Plan International. The school is bound to scale to dizzy heights of success as it is being transformed into an apotheosis of a progressive rural school of choice in Chipinge.
The writer Tobias Mlambo-Mubhangi is Rimbi High School head of languages department-cum senior teacher for academic affairs and can be contacted on 0776 294 160
