Bringing people together is always a task especially in this season where a series of accidents are being recorded on national television. Barely a week before the major event of the quarter, breaking news was of buses catching fire on the road and this left Bible Society of Zimbabwe wondering if the school kids will be allowed to travel for the quiz competitions despite having been cleared by the Ministry of Education and school authorities to travel. We had to brave the low temperatures to make sure all is set at the venue and to make all the necessary arrangements on the ground.
Early in the morning, the venue was as dead as a church yard on a Monday and we were busy setting up asking ourselves, will this place be filled with people. When one is busy, time ticks unnoticed and messages were flooding with updates full of excitement that we are on our way. That alone was a great relief that the children are coming for the event. The Bible says, ‘train up a child in the way you would want him to grow’, indeed, grounding the kids at an early stage is the greatest investment ever.
Speaking at the sidelines of the event, Hilton Chinenyanga [14], a student at Waddilove High school could not hold his joy when he reconnected with his friends from St Faith primary [ his former school]. ‘I was warmly accepted at High School and everyone including the teachers were very receptive and it helped me in my studies. I came out with six subjects in the first term and I am working hard to do more. Asked about how he is feeling to be part of the quiz competitions he said this event has brought us together and besides competing, it helps us in the understanding of the Word of God which is the best foundation of life’.
Lazarus Mujinga, a grade 7 student from Mutambara could not hold his joy after being given an opportunity to share his experience. ‘This program is good and has opened an avenue for us to mix and mingle with our fellow students from different schools. We are used to stay in the school yard and the school bus goes to various centers with the sighted students and today we have had our own opportunity where the school bus left the school in our name.
The story was the same with Tendai Goredema, a form 3 student who came from Nyamuzuwe high school who has for the first time attended the program organized by the Bible Society of Zimbabwe, ‘ it is good to be remembered and to interact with our fellow brothers and sisters from other schools that we have only heard about but never got an opportunity to engage with them. The Bible is a Holy book and we are here to share our knowledge of the Word of God as we were tasked to focus for the purpose of these competitions on Luke chapter 10 to chapter 20.
The event was attended by the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Zimbabwe and some School Head teachers. The Ministry of Education Provincial Education Director was represented and at his level to come down to the event was a great blessing to the Society and schools at large. The Ministry of Education showed maximum support through presence, supporting remarks and officiating the handover ceremony of some trophies for the schools. “It was a great time being present and having the Bible Society coming in to impact lives of these students is a great investment, true to the Society’s tagline, Helping People Interact with the Word of God, these students will never be the same again and more schools nationwide must be forthcoming to be part of this even” he said.
Teachers and adjudicators expressed joy in having such a program for the kids, all the adjudicators were visually impaired, Mr Chando, a teacher, Ms Daudi, a teacher and Beauty, a graduate cum artist. What a great combination it was to have such a panel of experts who sacrificed their time to be part of this inaugural event. They all alluded to the fact that children are a blessing from God and the greatest investment is to nature them the Godly way. Beauty, one of the adjudicators motivated them through playing a thumb piano and music. ‘What you are is not an obstacle, believe in yourself and you will reach greater heights’ she said.