Tendai Charumbira
Masvingo province scouts team from Dikwindi, Shakashe, ZRP Zimuto, Helen McGhie, and Rujeko primary schools gathered at Mucheke Old Peoples’ Home, Alpha and Pioneer Cottages to plant trees in commemoration of the founder of Scout Movement Baden Powell.
Tinashe Mahachi, a teacher at Shakashe Primary School in Rujeko suburb who is also the scout leader and assistant provincial scout commissioner said the movement teaches children Ubuntu, character building and also helps on building life skills.
“I joined scouting in 2011 as a scout leader and in 2013 I managed to send a boy Liberty Majatami to Germany representing the nation. The scouting movement is very good and relevant especially when we look at the new curriculum as it goes hand in glove with our activities that are mainly focused on Ubuntu, character building and life skills,” said Mahachi.
Provincial scouts commissioner Taruvinga Bingwa, said the scouts team plants trees every year in commemoration of the scouts founder and said that he sourced the 53 trees from the Forestry Commission planted at Mucheke Old Peoples home, Alpha Cottage and Pioneer Cottage and the remaining were distributed to other schools.
“I sourced the 53 trees from forestry commission and distributed 32 trees to schools that do scouting. We managed to plant two trees at Mucheke old peoples home, eight at Alpha Cottage and similar number at Pioneer Cottage.
“Apart from these 53 trees from forestry commission I also added extra 30 which I had nursed. Zimbabwe scouts national had requested us to plant just 22 but we were fortunate enough to get 50 from forestry commission and I added 30,” said Bingwa.
Sheleen Addison the administrator at Pioneer Cottages said that she is so grateful with the great work done by the scouts association as the fruit trees are very beneficial to the environment.
“We are grateful here at Pioneer Cottage as the fruit trees are very beneficial to the environment because they give us food, shelter and bring goodness to the soil,” said Addison.
The scout movement was founded in 1857 in United States America and spread to Zimbabwe by the founder when he visited Matabeleland in 1911.
