48 Teach For Zimbabwe Fellows graduate

48 Teach For Zimbabwe (TFZ) Fellows drawn from  employed teachers and non-teachers from Chiredzi and Mutoko graduated at Ochie Safari Lodges in Domboshawa yesterday after undergoing training.

The  2nd Cohort graduands received training from TFZ, a not-for-profit organisation in modules such as Induction, Economic Fundamental Pillars, Profuturo, Innovation and Creative Leadership, Fundamentals of Teaching, Personal Effectiveness and Entrepreneurship.

The fellows are set to be placed in marginalised schools in Chiredzi and Mutoko for two years from 2022-2023.The fellows who are already working as teachers will undergo the fellowship programme at their current workplaces.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the guest of honour and renowned educationist   Professor Caiphas Nziramasanga urged the graduands to keep on learning as he was still learning.

"The term professor does not mean all knowledge. I am still learning. If you have to be the person you want to be you need to keep on learning," he said.

Professor Nziramasanga commended Teach For Zimbabwe for providing inclusive education to the less privileged in the society.

"TFZ is a non-profit making organisation making education its main focus, providing inclusive education to the less privileged in our rural and poor communities."

"Its aims eliminate educational barriers for the marginalised children and enabling them to obtain qualitative heritage-based education for their own economic transformation," said Professor Nziramasanga.

Professor Nziramasanga stressed the need for new leadership skills for new leadership roles and praised TFZ for fostering leadership development in its trainees.

"When you look at the whole total programme of TFZ you will notice the greatest emphasis on leadership and is not on education knowledge accumulation."

"Its trainees are purposefully recruited from diverse academic backgrounds and expertise but mainly deriving from the marginalized communities.TFZ supports its trainees who are placed in marginalised schools, marginalised communities and marginalised centres," he added.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Teach For Zimbabwe Dr Miriam Farai Jabangwe-Siwela congratulated the graduands for being transformed.

"I want to congratulate you. Today is your graduation. You have passed because you have been transformed. I am giving you this certificate as a confirmation that you are now different people," she said.

Dr Jabangwe-Siwela challenged the graduands not to receive the certificates if they were not transformed by the training from her organisation.

"Please don't stand up and come up and take this certificate if you know that you are still the same," she cautioned.

Felisters Muzorori, one of the graduates stationed at Samba Secondary School in Chiredzi district said she was happy, empowered and   ready to achieve her dream of becoming a great leader.

"I feel empowered. I feel that I have been given a tool to go and make a change in my community. I now believe that I can do it. I am very happy that I have managed to pass."

"I have learnt that in order to achieve my dream of becoming a great leader I need to realise my passion first and then   follow it regardless of challenges and limitations that may come around," she added.