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Disciple Mukuli
University of Zimbabwe
I came to believe the assertion that “Situations can be an obstacle” when l experienced life in one of Binga district’s dry regions called Nalubuyu.

There are no schools. Children travel more than 20 kilometres to nearby schools which include Manjolo, Mpiname and Bulawayo Kraal primary schools as well as Masibinta, Manjolo and Bulawayo Kraal secondary schools.

Children start going to school when they are much older because of distances involved in travelling to and from school.

Except for a few boreholes, which go dry during the summer season, there are no water sources. Children carry water containers to school and students arrive at school tired from carrying books and water containers.

These activities disrupt school children’s concentration and performance, since they start sleeping in class instead of concentrating on their school work.

Consequently, some pupils drop out of school during the dry season, the reason being they help their parents drive cattle to the Zambezi River in search of pastures and water.

They can travel as far as 50 kilometres to reach the Zambezi River. Most of the people camp around the Zambezi River herding their livestock.

The villagers survive on fishing during the course of their camp. As a result, children adapt to life of surviving on and by fishing, affecting anddiminishing their interest in school.

School attendance is perceived as waste of time, and ultimately of no consequence.

What makes the situation worse is that the youths from the district look at their educated brothers, who are jobless and dependent on fishing for survival, just like their less educated counterparts.

To ease these problems, there is need for the Government’s intervention, working together with the community; building schools and constructing dams or expanding already existing dams. There is also need to drill more boreholes and create employment for educated locals in order to motivate youths to appreciate the importance of schooling and education.

*****

Molleen Chisveto

Midlands State University

A disturbingly large number of students at institutions of higher learning tend to plagiarise as a result of a number of reasons. Regrettably this has resulted in suspension or expulsion, with the possibility of the offending student being barred from entering college, university or any other educational institutions.

Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one’s own original work. In educational contexts, there are differing definitions of plagiarism depending on the institution.

The most tragic part of this is that a great number of students plagiarise knowingly by taking word for word off someone’s work without attribution or quotation marks. This is called direct plagiarism. There is also self-plagiarism, in which a student takes the information from a previous assignment or the work from another module and uses it in another  assignment as new without acknowledgement. Students do this knowingly most of the time.

Most students state reasons for plagiarism and among them are the desire to get good grades, fear of failing, procrastination or poor time management which leads them to copy other people’s work at the last minute.

According to Christine Mlambo, a Media student at Midlands State

University, “we cannot afford to fail when we have a way of avoiding it

though it has its consequences, if caught”.

“As students we choose to cheat or take other people’s work because of the desire to pass and impress our parents,’’ says Christine Mlambo.

Universities have ways of dealing with students found guilty of violating the school’s plagiarism policies. The punishment can range from failing the class or suspension, to expulsion from university.

In minor cases such as copying one’s assignment, the lecturer may simply fail the work. Students need to avoid plagiarism as it is costly for them. They need to have proper time management, know what plagiarism is, because others plagiarise unintentionally, cite internet sources and know the lecturer’s or school’s policies on plagiarism.

By considering all these, students will be able to steer clear of plagiarism and attendant punishment.

*****

Ashley Manema

Great Zimbabwe University

Dear Unknown Mom

I once heard there was a time when the whole community gathered in

celebrating the arrival of a new baby.

Jubilation, they named it.

Joy, they called it.

Love, they proclaimed it.

Respect for life, they sang.

Drums sounded glory to the mountains and the seas.

One could only hear sounds of feet dancing in the dust to the heart of the

earth.

Where did all of it go?

How I wish I was born that time

So I could experience how it feels to be celebrated

Sometimes I wonder where it all went

How did we get here?

Did the enemy come and steal it?

But which enemy and from where?

What did I do wrong?

Sometimes I ask myself;

Was it because of me?

That every piece of humanity in you departed?

Just like that, it all vanished

Like the sun fading

So did your heart, love and conscience

The memories of my childhood

Are filled with the sounds

Of my fellow infants crying with so much agony

Where is the mother?

We would always ask each other

Not expecting any answers

She is nowhere to be found

Then we wondered

How can a mother abandon

Her own child?

How can she just leave the infant for vultures to feast on?

 

I cannot explain

The pain

That cut through my heart

When I think about it

Is this what they meant

When they said

We are teaching girls

To become good mothers?

How could a woman bear so much pain conceiving

Only to throw away the gift?

Is it not you who proclaim

That children are gifts from God?

So then, why is your heart

So hardened to throw away such a gift?

I have so many questions running through my mind

Dear unknown mom

I promise you the pain

And the struggle I went through

Growing up was much worse

Than you thought I would go through with you by my side

I did not need much

I just needed a shoulder to cry on

A woman to call mom

 

And a source of peace during the hardest times

I just needed to be loved

For crying out loud

All I wanted was to play

Mahumbwe like any other child would

But fate suggested otherwise

I became an adult the day the sun kissed my face

I learnt how to look after myself

The day you left me behind

Deep down I know God sent his angels

To watch over me

But I still craved for a more physical guardian angel

I would call mom

Dear unknown mom

I just wanted to be a child.

Each day contained its own misfortune

I saw hundreds of fellow infants dumped day by day

My heart ached

Knowing what fate held for them

They were coming to a world

My world

One that is filled with hatred, pain, hopelessness, bitterness unanswered

questions, sorrow, tears and uncertainty — (Abridged).

 

 

No matter you find

A home to stay

Of food to eat

The questions never left my mind

Why mom? Why?

Was I much of a burden?

Did I choose to be here?

The why questions grew as I grew

This same fate awaited these innocent infants

As if it is not enough

You never repent

You choose to die with your secret

You never make an effort to see what happened to us

And you call yourself a mother

A woman, a human being

Even a monkey cares and looks after its little one

It protects its little one like a golden egg

At times we wish we were born monkeys

At least we would get so much love

Stop this now! Enough!

How long will we cry for your love

Dear heartless mom

For how long will we sit and talk

 

About how you abandoned us?

I say not anymore!

I have heard enough

I have seen enough

And I have suffered enough

But not anymore!

Today I stand to applaud your heartless act

Because I have reached where I am today

It was hard, painful, shattering and heart-breaking

But trust me, it made me stronger

Thanks for the way you treated me

I can say without a shadow of doubt that “I am success”

I have blamed you almost all of my life but not anymore

I pray you find peace

Now I plead with you to do this one last thing for me

Tell your fellow heartless mothers to show mercy on the little infants

What is our fault in this?

We never chose to be born

The innocent infants crave for a mother’s love and affection

Just like I did

Can they not at least offer that much to their babies?

What you failed to do

They will never know

 

What the baby may turn out to be

Do not let them commit the same mistake that you did

I plead with you on behalf of all the little infants

Please show mercy

Can’t you see all these tears in our eyes?

Can’t you see the cravings of a mother’s love written all over our innocent

faces?

Does our saddened cries not bother you at all?

Show mercy.

Q