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Fadzayi Maposah Correspondent

There is a Shona proverb which says, “Kugara nhaka kuona dzevamwe”.

Loosely translated it means that one learns from observing what others do.

 Everywhere we go, there are opportunities to learn.

It is only that at times we choose not to learn or that we just ignore the lessons that are before us.

It could be that we decide that we will only learn in a classroom set up only. Now that is sad, as most of us are not being exposed to the classroom set up very often.

I have heard some people complain that individuals do not want to learn unless they see a teacher, desk, board and other classmates! 

This can only be labelled as sad and unfortunate. 

I have resolved always to be on the look-out for any lessons that can be relevant and of assistance to me. 

There are lessons that I have learnt at the market, workplaces, at church and even on public transport.

Even in various programmatic activities, there are scheduled look and learn activities. During a look and learn activity, programmers are taken to a community or project site that is doing well. 

The programmers who visit the site are taken usually on tour of the project and have a chance to ask and see for themselves what is being done that they can copy and replicate when they go back to their own project or work site. So as we go through life, it is important that we look and learn. Most programming reports have a segment that is usually headlined lessons learnt.

In the segment, the one writing the activity report highlights what was learnt in the course of the activity that will enhance future programming. 

I am one person who values relationships.

These are very important to me and they are also very good learning platforms. 

Relationships are great support systems. Some of the things that one learns in relationships include patience, tolerance, compromising and listening among others. Relationships are also great for team work.

Yamu my friend and big sister to me is the one who introduced “Zva3” into our family. 

 Zva3 which in short means what to eat at three mid- afternoon.

This is a mid-afternoon snack to ensure one is not too hungry by supper time.

There are a variety of snacks that can be eaten at 3 pm. These include popcorn, biscuits, juice, salted peanuts or fruits. 

Before as a family we managed to copy and paste what Yamu was doing in her home, the girls would really look forward to visiting her knowing that at exactly three o`clock in the afternoon there would be a snack for everyone!

 What I learnt from Yamu is that one can actually provide something that is ordinary and yet make it very extra ordinary! There were days when the snack was the humble masau yet because it was put in little fancy bowls, the girls would sit cross legged on Aunt Yamu’s verandah facing the Harare-Mutare Road, snack on the fruit as they put claims on the vehicles in the highway. 

Zva3 has become rather complicated since the girls started cooking. 

It is possible to get home from work and find a sink full of dirty plates and utensils and one girl attempting to clean up in the shortest time possible with loud music in the background. Shocking. 

Adolescents can be difficult housemates. Lesson learnt is that as a parent or guardian remain firm otherwise adolescents will create and recreate some rules to the point where you become confused and alienated in your own home! Adolescence is a period that most parents and guardians endure rather than enjoy.

Adolescents can play around with what has been written or discussed as zva3. 

I have noted that on some days that they should have crisps, they can decide to actually make a pan load of French fries. The excuse would be French fries and crisps are both made from potatoes. Surprisingly they will rarely have simply boiled sweet potatoes as the 3 pm snack.

Zva3 has stood the test of time. My sisters who stayed with me when I learnt and introduced the concept at home are now fully grown women.

They have not only taken that tradition and made it part of their families, but have personalised it so much, that it is like they invented the idea! This shows the home and what is learnt there has a serious bearing on an individual and what they value even much later in life. 

When it is time for zva3, the whole body looks forward to snacking. 

I have been thinking that for some females, their `it` experience is like zva3! 

It is consistent and always on time at 3pm. 

As the time approaches, one begins to prepare for the occasion. 

I was having a discussion with some females and I was amazed at how some females shared that from menarche (the onset of menstruation) up to now.

Their periods start and end at the same time.

Others wake up to a period that has begun while others experience it at tea time, others at night just before they go to bed. 

Now all grown up and still having zva3 one of the girls who used to eat the 3 pm mal at Yamu’s place was telling the others that since menarche, she had never missed her period. 

The others listened as she lamented how she just heard that some started menstruation then went on a menstrual vacation.

There were whispers of sympathy from some until one came up with something that they could relate to. 

She put it simply: “Since we were very small we have been having the 3 pm meal, now no matter where we are we take time for that mid afternoon snack. 

“Look at being on (your period) the same way as you look at zva3. It is always at 3!”