Have something good to say about yourself

October 19, 2011

Over the past couple of weeks, I have thought of adolescence as a time where your self-esteem is probably challenged the most. You either love the way you are or you do not.

YO SPACE:

How sweet!

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Home of millions
The hissing snakes
The barking dogs
The crowing cocks
And the roaring lions
How sweet!

Rich with your people
Vast with your green vegetation
Proud of your blue sky
Your howing rivers
Boundful with your animal forest
How sweet!

Come forth and
Taste the sweetness of being born
In Africa
Land of peace
Land of plenty
Land of sky high mountains
Land of deep-flowing rivers
Your rain-pregnant clouds
How sweet!

I have much pride being
Born a Zimbabwean
The finest race among all races
Rich with a dignified culture
A culture that promotes
Unity, peace and prosperity
How sweet Zimbabwe is . . .
Its parks, oh, yes!
Saturated with game,
The elephants, the hyena, the giraffe
The buffalo — you name it
The list is endless
How sweet!

Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe!
My motherland
The flower of civilisation
98% literacy rate
Full of women filled with dignity
Women of resilience
Full of empowered, educated women
How sweet!
Oh, yes!
Go ahead and rob me of
My car, money, wealth
All that I will surrender
But never my birthright
Zimbabwe
How sweet!                        

Mirian Gono, Form 3

YO SPACE:

LOVE 
                        
Kindness in feeling creates profoundness Kindness in thinking creates love
Kindness in words creates confidence to fall in love

You can fall from a ladder
You can fall from a tree
But the best way of falling is to fall in love
                    
 Love is patient and tender
 Love is blind it can lead you anywhere
                  
 Love is the only kind of ice that keeps a woman warm
 For you to be loved, love and be lovable

Bernard Mapuranga
Solusi Adventist High School

YO SPACE:

LIFE

Life’s a journey
Life’s a journey
It’s a journey to self-discovery
Discovering if we are succeeding or failing
If we are fit or ailing

Life’s a journey
It has its fair share of ups and downs
But our minds make them look unfair
We decide whether to fold up or get up
Life’s a journey.

Life’s a journey
A journey that changes with time
It’s no longer survival of the fittest but the wise
Only those that think big get big

Life’s a journey
Where we don’t choose what we start with
But what we end with
Some are happy in trains, some sad in planes
Be happy where you are but don’t be content
 
Morgan MzuzaUpper 6 , Kuwadzana 1 High School

Choosing a good university

October 1, 2011

As we draw closer to the end of the year, you might be thinking “what next?” if you have not done so already. Choosing a university and applying is quite a process in your final year of high school, but with some research, guidance and clarity of mind you should be able to do this with ease.

Fashion labels to put Zim on the map Fashion labels to put Zim on the map

 September 24, 2011

“Style, coolness, confidence” are words VeeySwagga (Valentine Chonyera) and BallaMaro (Simbarashe Marowa) use to describe their fashion label “Slick Swagg” targeted mainly at teenagers.

Slick Swagg was founded by Marowa in February this year “to keep Zimbabwean teens up to date with the new and cool clothing around the world, aiming at both male and female”.

YO SPACE:

Dreams,thoughts and life are nothing

Each night I have a dream
I dream of a car that I like the most
Dreams are nothing, they are nothing
Dreams are nothing but fade away
Dreams are just but nothing
They are nothing, but ice on fire

While I wake up in the morning each day
l sit on the chair and listen to what my dad has to say
Life is nothing, it’s a nothing
Life is nothing but a slap in the face
Life is nothing, it’s a nothing
Life is nothing but a fat rat race

Each day I think of fancy things
Things that I admire most in life
Thoughts are nothing, they are nothing
Thoughts are nothing but fade away
Thoughts are just but nothing
They are nothing but daytime pushers

So what can dreams, thoughts and life be?

Macmelody Moyo Dino (18)
Solusi Adv High School

YO SPACE:

Why did fools fail?

They were content with being beggars
They were happy with eating crumbs
For them, to work was sore
To study was demanding
To relate was burdensome
To believe was intricate
To dream was hurting.

They lived to limit themselves,
As they thought they were born to suffer.
They liked reaping yet they hated sowing
They wanted to gather yet they never spread
They were gravely aimless and myopic
They lacked purpose and vision,
No wonder why they perished!

Mncedisi Nyathi (21)

Condoms in schools debate continues

September 3, 2011

A couple of months ago a national question was raised: Should condoms (and other contraceptives) be introduced in high schools?

YO SPACE:

A Priceless Precious Gift

He was born a king,
Announced a saviour even before birth,
He grew up as a poor kid.
Yet he was a prince,
He chose to share that little he had with others,
What  a priceless precious gift.
A gift desired by many I may say.
An expensive gift given to everyone for free.
You can’t find gold and siver packed in one.
Yet Jesus is more than that in one
He gave his life for free,
All he wanted in return was for us to be like the father our God
Jesus is such a Priceless Precious Gift.

Who dares suffer death for the sake of a friend’s sin?
Of course no one.
Except for Jesus our Priceless Precious Gift.
His sacrifice is greater than any other.
What else can I say for such a precious gift?

Who had ever conquered death?
His life is more than a gift.
A gift that will neither break nor corrode.
It remains in our hearts that he died for us and rose again.
What a gift many are struggling to find!
Share this gift (Jesus) with others,
And you will enjoy all its benefits.
Jesus is a priceless precious gift,
And he deserves to be praised for all he has done for us.
                
Annalisa Tsoro, Lower 6, Kuwadzana 1 High School

YO SPACE:

Night

Because you sleep my little one, the sunset will no longer glow:

Now nothing brighter than the dew, nor whiter than my face you know.

Because you sleep my little one, nothing on the highroad do we see; nothing sighs except the river, nothing except me.

The plain is turning into mist, the sky’s blue breath is still like a hand upon the world; silence works its will.

Not only do I rock my baby to sleep with my singing, but the whole world goes to sleep to the sway of my cradle swinging.

Tatenda Pasvani, Form 1, Kuwadzana 1 High School

Change Zimbabwe, change the world

August 20, 2011

It has been almost two months since we commemorated the day of the African Child. This month we joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Youth Day.

The second coming of Bhekumuzi

August 6, 2011

Abel Phiri

The shirtless unshod little boy with a stomach bulging with disease, picked up a five-billion-Zimdollar note from a heap of rubbish dumped on a bush growing on a lane. The city council had long since stopped collecting refuse and cutting grass — so many things looked alien to Bhekumuzi’s eyes .

The boy rushed to the vendor pushing a cart filled with empty whiskey bottles, the type you do not get deposits back for.

Young girls explore femininity through football

July 30, 2011

The world has just witnessed the Fifa Women’s World Cup in Germany, a spectacle promoting the advancement of football globally.

Likewise a young Turkish woman has shown how a small football club in Germany is paving the way in the development of female football.

Cover to Cover winner’s profile

Alfred  Tichaona Jaricha
Kuwadzana 1 High School

If we say greatness is achieved, why do some push hard and yet still fail? Of course, we can begin to explain how they made too many mistakes and so forth, but why them and not the other ambitious fellow who built six towers? Does this push predestination into the picture? 

I was born on the twentieth of September in a year of drought, 1992. I did my pre-school at a local crèche in Chivhu and my Grade 1 at Chivhu Primary School. After father’s death, Grade 2 was a new beginning. This gave me an experience of four days at Mutipitipi Primary School preceding a term and a half at Dudley Hall. 

YO SPACE:

Tell me!
What good is anything when everything is for nothing
What good are elections when there’s still starvation?
What role is empowered by clinics?
When there’s still no medication
of what length is safe and shallow
When beyond that there is depth
What good is life?
When after life there is death
of what use is hell
When after we sin we pray
What good are relationships?
When at a point you will break up

What good is rest?
When after we sleep we wake up
What good is beauty?
When its plastered with makeup
What good are presidents like Adolf  Hitler?

When people lived and still live in non-democratic countries
What good are laws?
When after all they are broken
What good are words?
When tomorrow they are forgotten

What good is love?
When it is hate begotten
Of what good is keeping secrets?
When at a point they will come out so can you tell me ,
Of what good is anything?
When everything is for nothing.

I need information on these
what good is a rose when it blossoms
When its blossoms will eventually die
What good is a river?
When its flows will eventually dry

What good is sunshine?
When darkness will come
What good is sharing?
When all you get is a crumb of What use are police officials?
When they have conspired in corruption
What good are books?
When students go for each other’s looks
Of what good is denying a proposal?
When at a point you will get married

What good were government schools in (2007-09)?
When teachers were always on strike
Of what gain is made from not reading?
When you will fail
What do you get from crime?
When you end up in jail
So people, can you please tell me
What good is anything?
When everything is for nothing!!!

By Thubelihle Wellington Ncube, a student at Solusi Adventist High School.

Model United Nations

July 16, 2011

This week Allan Chiduza, a Lower Sixth student at Kuwadzana High 1, submitted a report on an event that took place last month.

Kuwadzana High 1 hosted the Model United Nations day for 2011 on 29 June this year.
This educative and intriguing event was coordinated by the Zimbabwe United Nations Association.

Unleashing creativity in the girl child

July 2, 2011

Young girls from the age of 12 and 19 now have a platform to unleash their creativity through the Girl Child Creativity (GCC) project encouraging a balanced representation and participation of young female writers/poets in areas of creative writing, literature, literacy and poetry performance development.

Young girls are encouraged to develop mentally and stretch their creativity, in the belief that “a creative nation is a developed nation”.

Careers from a different angle

“We are not here to teach you how to get a job, because there are no jobs, you will have to create your own jobs.”

This was an introductory statement made by one of my former lecturers. Now I really understand what he meant.

Careers are constantly evolving in this modern society and certain models may no longer apply right now.

Father’s Day gift ideas

June 18, 2011

You have just less than 24 hours to come up with a gift idea for Father’s Day if you have not got one already.

Ideally we should not have to wait for one day in the year to celebrate fathers, but tomorrow we’ll make the most of it.

Thankfully Father’s Day is during winter so this gives us more to consider.

Marking the Day of the African Child

June 11, 2011

This week, on Thursday June16  Zimbabwe joins the continent in celebrating and commemorating the 21st edition of the Day of the African Child.

All together for urgent actions in favour of street children is the theme set by the African Union (AU) for this year’s commemoration.

Together we can make a difference

 June 4, 2011

Street Kid, Whose Child? Together we can make a Difference this was the theme for this year’s commemoration of the Day of the Street Child, hosted by Streets Ahead, an organisation assisting children living and working on the streets.

The aim was to inform the public of the plight of these children (the majority being teenagers) and how society can make a difference in the lives of these children.

Your weekend diary

May 28, 2011

There must be something significant about today, with two events specifically targeted at teens. The afternoon begins with a Teens Braai at the Harare Exhibition Park (Showgrounds), shortly followed by the second edition of Miss Teen Zimbabwe being held at the 7 Arts theatre in Harare at 7pm.

The Teens Braai is being hosted by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (Zas) and the main objective is to have an annual event specifically catering for teenagers.

Boys get circumcised

May 14, 2011

During the April School holiday the Pinda muSmart Male Circumsion School Holiday Campaign was held from April 6.

Male circumcision is being encouraged as it reduces the chances of being infected with HIV by 60%.

‘The Abstinence Academy’

April 16, 2011

When it comes to issues of teens and issues surrounding sex, this is a subject that cannot be avoided.

Platforms should be introduced for young people to ask questions, seek advice, and gain knowledge about their reproductive health.

‘Let it rock concert’

April 9, 2011

Finally the holiday has begun and just in time, this weekend is packed with entertainment for all to unwind.

AMVIS, ‘Ambition Meets Vision’ is a three-member group organising a hip-hop concert, “Let it rock concert”, expected to bring teens from around Harare together this evening at the 7Arts Theatre.

Juvenile rape cases

What drives a teenage boy to sexually harass/rape a young girl?

Each time I come across articles like that I begin to worry about the future of such young men and other teenage boys in general.

Are young girls safe at home alone with older brothers, cousins, cousin-brothers, friends and uncles?

Teen drinking — the negative effects

As much as the legal age for alcohol consumption is 18 upwards, a lot of younger teenagers are drinking today.

The aim is not to give prescriptive comments on what should be done but rather highlight some of the cases and effects of alcohol abuse.

Role of the Junior Council

March 19, 2011

“The youth are our future”, but in the meantime, what are young people doing to prepare and contribute to this future?

A group of senior scholars is currently taking on the duplicate roles of the senior council, engaging with their communities, and taking a keen interest in the civic affairs of the city, and empowering young people around them.

Celebrating you young lady

March 12, 2011

This week Zimbabwe took part in acknowledging and celebrating International Women’s Day.

Even though this day may primarily mark the economic, political and social achievements of women, young women can also approach it as a time to map their future while striving to maintain these achievements for future generations.

Youth Lingo

March 5, 2011

“Good day, How are you?” would probably result in a blank stare, and people wondering which archaic famous novel you came out of.

Not that there is anything wrong with speaking like this, but the truth is the youth have their own culture, their own way of speaking, and have a way of animating the most simple phrases.

Suggestions for filling your year

Now that results are out the way, if you have not done it already, it might be time to plan the next step. Some of you might be waiting to go off to university later, maybe you have decided you need a break for the year, or maybe the year just has not gone as planned.  

If your plans are not working out for this year, it is always best to stay positive and accept that you have to find ways to make the most of the year as map your way forward.

Teenage Web behaviour

We have talked endlessly of how Zimbabweans consume the Web and are engaging in social media platforms, but today we want look at the behaviour of the average Zimbabwean teenager in relation to the Web.

Findings from Everyone.Online published by TheBehaviourReport.com, a Zimbabwean online-based market research business and publication, with several surveys in the bag (retail, health, telecommunications, accounting, and advertising), have shown that teenagers are a very active group of Internet users.

Radio magazine show unravels youth issues

The Children First project funded by USAid, recently partnered with a local communications company to pioneer a radio magazine programme entitled Young People aimed at fostering dialogue amongst the youth



The show will discuss a range of topics that are of interest to Zimbabwean youth from the ages of about 15 to 35.