A day with Team Nhaka in the field

A day well spent with Team Nhaka!

On Tuesday the 20^th of September, Nhaka Foundation visited Rusike Primary school in Goromonzi, where a follow up workshop was held to train ECD level teachers the importance of Arts and Crafts in the development of children. The workshop was a great success as seven schools attended with over 15 teachers present. 

It was inspiring to see all the teachers participating and acknowledging the importance of such a workshop. Some of the teachers were tasked with creating their own crafts from recycled material and it was great to see rag dolls, Zimbabwe’s very own famous wire cars, drums made from plastic and containers, tambourines made from wire and bottle tops and castanets made from wooden planks. Glenda from Nhaka Foundation shared ideas on how to make homemade play doe, homemade glue and homemade paint all made from items found in the kitchen, which is brilliant because it makes all these items safe, even if the children try to taste them as we know how curious children can be. In addition a beautiful Zimbabwean homestead was also made from old toilet rolls, sand and grass (all recycled materials). 

It was great to hear the teachers share their recipes for paint using different coloured soils in the area, and recipes for glue using trees in the area. The teachers were very much aware of the importance of Arts and Crafts in the development of a well rounded student. They also shared their own understanding of arts and crafts through a lovely discussion on why we need arts and crafts in schools. I particularly enjoyed sharing my ideas on making jewellery out of straws, magazines and ribbon and sharing the importance of music at ECD level. 

After a lovely workshop it was a great pleasure to distribute all the stationary Nhaka Foundation managed to gather for all seven schools. What an amazing initiative by Nhaka Foundation not only have we empowered seven schools with the resources and the knowledge but we have also inspired hundreds of children in the Goromonzi area.

Lets do what we can to support those living in our communities and Nhaka Foundation is walking the talk by being active in the communities. 

Blessings,

Vera Chisvo

Rehabilitating classrooms

Dear Friends,

School is a place where children can call home. They spend almost 70% of their time at there, learning different life skills for the future. The impact school has on children is so great, and cannot be overlooked. Children learn how the world operates and acquire knowledge and information that enlightens their young minds about the future. School is also a place where children learn to make relationships and various life decisions. In other words, school is another world separate from the homes they come from; a place where their dreams have the possibility of coming true.

On Wednesday the 7^th of September 2016, Team Nhaka together with a representative from a possible donor embarked on a field trip to Govera Primary School in Domboshava. Domboshava is a rural area situated in the Goromonzi District. Prior to this visit, another assessment to conduct Classroom and Playground Renovations had been carried out. This marked the 2^nd visit for the same purpose. The dusty roads and the African-designed homesteads welcomed us as we further drove towards the school. For those of us visiting the school for the very first time, great anticipation gripped us as we could only imagine what lay ahead. Upon arrival, I was greatly reminded of my father. He grew up in Govera and even attended the same primary school. Since it was founded in 1927, no renovations of any kind had been undertaken at the school. 8 decades later, this new generation of children have to call the same school their own, and adopt it as a second home. 

As we started assessing the entire school, my heart was deeply overwhelmed with sadness at the great dilapidation that has taken place over the past 89 years. 2classroom blocks had to be condemned by the local council authorities and the Ministry of Education, as they were a possible endangerment to the children’s safety. Harsh winds left some rooftops blown off, weak roof beams that are gradually being harvested by ant termites support the dilapidated rusty roofs; meaning when it rains children cannot conduct their lessons in these classes. Now that summer is here, it would mean the children are exposed to the sun throughout their learning slots, a situation that could expose them to excessive sun burns leading to serious skin damage and/or skin cancer. The structures that are considered to be in good condition have broken windows, and chipped floors. Bricks are wearing off from the corners of some blocks, leaving them extremely imbalanced. This situation could create a bigger threat to the children’s safety once the rainy season starts. However, because the number of children enrolled at the school requires more than just the 3classroom blocks that are currently functional; teachers have taken the risks and still conduct lessons in the condemned classroom blocks. Despite the current situation, children still attend school, neatly dressed and engage in the day-to-day school activities with positivity.

Every child has a right to a safe learning environment! Partner with us in order to make this a reality for children at this and many other schools in the District.

Until next time,

Roshnee Musonza
Media Intern

Final lap of the year

Dear Friends,

We welcome the third and final term of the year, and embrace the bright blue skies and bright African sunshine of the summer season! With parents and teachers undergoing last minute back-to-school preparations, for children everywhere, the atmosphere is often charged up with a great level of anticipation for what is to come. Going to a new term usually means a lot of homework awaits, and whilst this can be a ‘not-so-interesting’ subject for some children, school remains the one place children should be allowed to be who they are and whoever they can be; as well as an open environment for them to be heard.

At Nhaka Foundation, we believe in the education of all children and our sole mission is to educate, feed and improve the health of orphans and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe; with the help of our partners and supporters. This term team Nhaka is faced with the daunting task of mobilising the communities in preparation for the construction of outdoor playgrounds for E.C.D children. 

As we all know, “children learn through play”. Children at E.C.D level are stimulated by colours, open spaces filled with toys, sporting activities and play! Play is the best way for young children to learn the concepts, skills, and tasks needed to set a solid foundation for later school and life success. In order to successfully create environments that are conducive for effective play, at Nhaka Foundation we believe in creating spaces that are stimulating and urge spontaneous creativity from children.

Team Nhaka joins in the excitement of 3^rd term with a number of outlined projects, some of which include the Arts and Craft ECD Teacher workshop, Outdoor playground and equipment construction, commemoration of the International Day of the girl child and many more! 

Children are the future and we must all play our part in making sure their early childhood foundations are established on strong grounds! I hope you can join us as we embark on this term’s initiatives. 

Happy new term!!

Until next time,

Roshnee

Nhaka Intern