Added to School
A United Methodist mission school in Zimbabwe added two pigs to its instructional livestock, and a student helped a sow deliver 11 piglets. (Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash)
MARANGE, Zimbabwe – Students at Marange High school in Zimbabwe learned valuable life lessons and business acumen recently when one of their classmates assisted a pig in labor and delivered 11 healthy piglets.
Takudzwa Muringa, a student at Marange High School, demonstrated his life skill expertise when a sow was in labor. Staff members and students were dumbfounded when he helped a sow bear her piglets.
Pigs are a new project introduced at the school in 2022 when the station bought two sows after many years of raising cattle, goats, and poultry. One of the sows was already pregnant when she was acquired. Generally, the length of time a sow is pregnant is about 115 days.
The sow went into labor when Murgina was nearby. He heard sounds from the pen and rushed to see what was happening. The sow had already delivered one piglet. Suddenly, Muringa jumped inside the pen, demanding gloves, a bucket of water, and soap. The agriculture teacher, Ralph Machingauta, ran to the Agriculture department store room and brought them. Muringa then assisted the sow to deliver another 10 piglets using his expertise learned at home. The student’s family relies on piggery for their income.
Muringa tied the umbilical cords of the piglets and placed them in a separate pen. After 20 minutes he checked to find out if there was any piglet remaining in the uterus. Finding none, he then cleaned the sow and transferred her to the 11 piglets, four males and seven females. He gave the sow food and water. The school was in jubilation. Takudzwa was a super-hero.
Educational access
Marange High school Headmaster William Chingombe emphasized the importance of having access to quality educational opportunities that help children acquire useful skills for adulthood.
“Students who have had these kinds of opportunities have a far better chance of graduating with the well-round set of abilities necessary for success in the real world”, said Mr. Chingombe.
He said that “students gained not only the ability to think critically and solve problems, but also the confidence to strike out on their own in the competitive poultry farming sector as a result of this experience. The school has a vital role in helping students to develop and hone their life skills.”
The headmaster added, “Children and young people may develop vital skills such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking via participation in various activities, classes, and interactions with other students. These abilities are necessary for success in the real world and can help young people prepare for future problems. In addition, schools provide a secure and encouraging atmosphere in which children may practise and improve these abilities. Schools gives children with the chance to acquire the skills necessary for achieving success in life, including the capacity to work in a group and to think independently.”
The school is located 79 kilometers southwest of Mutare town in Manicaland and was established at Mt. Makomwe in 1904-05. Bishop Joseph C. Hartzell appointed Rev. E. H. Greeley to work at Mt. Makomwe in 1906. During the same year, Wodehouse, Ferris, their spouses, Greeley, Chief Marange, and his counsellors visited the site where the mission was to be built. Both a church and a school were established, and the number of students rose to 48. English and Shona were taught from the beginning, and later on geography, English grammar, and arithmetic were added.
By 1907, a school, church, and dispensary had been established. New buildings were built in 1916 to replace cracking walls. In 1920 a boarding school was opened and Methodist women donated a girls' hostel opened officially by a Mrs. Sells. The mission was part of the Marange Circuit.
The boarding school and mission were abandoned in 1951 and was revived in 1968, and the mission center was run jointly by Anglicans, Methodists, and the local community. In 1968 the junior secondary schools committee recommended to the Zimbabwe Annual Conference to choose delegates to represent The United Methodist Church in negotiations for a junior secondary school at Mt. Makomwe. Rev L. Blomquist, Rev C. Miller and Mr B. Mutambara were appointed to represent the UMC. In 1980 a request was sent to ministry of education by the UMC to take over Marange primary school. In 1995 Marange returned to the control of The United Methodist Church. It is currently known as the “Marange UMC Center” and is the site of a church, Mt Makomwe primary school and Marange High School.
Technical and vocational classes
The school, a United Methodist mission, offers ordinary and advanced level and has boarding facility. Marange High is one of the best secondary schools in Manicaland province. The school is officially registered by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The school offers a balanced curriculum focusing on the needs of all learners. Marange identifies the strengths and weaknesses of all the children in their care, and concentrate on developing these areas so that each child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. Mr Chingombe said, “Learners, as a matter of compulsion, do at least two technical vocational subjects at ordinary level."
The vocational subjects on offer are:
- Food and nutrition.
- Textile technology and design including garment construction and many different forms of fashion and clothing.
- Building technology and design including all forms of construction of buildings and human habitats and metal work, including tools and equipment.
- Wood technology and design.
- Agriculture, including skills to feed families and get money out of agriculture sales.
- Technical technology and design, including drawing engineering diagrams, learning more about city engineering and computer science.
Besides the technical classes the school offers hands-on practice those subjects in form of clubs. When they leave the school, the students become self-sufficient.
One of the teachers, Mrs Musimwa, said, “The school’s small classes enable teachers to achieve a nurturing relationship with each child in the class."
She added, “Children receive meaningful spiritual instruction every day led by the school’s chaplain. Teachers incorporate Christian principles into their lessons through Bible-centred teaching. God remains the most important person in their classrooms and the children are encouraged to glorify Him in whatever they do.”
She said the chaplain also provides spiritual and pastoral support to the school staff, bearing witness to the mission statement and maintaining and enhancing the distinctive UMC nature of the school. The chaplain's role is to provide spiritual and pastoral support to members of the school community, to develop and enhance the spiritual, liturgical and prayer life of the school, providing opportunities for worship and reflection. The chaplain also organizes a full program of school liturgies and retreats.
Mr. Chingombe commended the life skills program that is part of their new curriculum.
"Since Zimbabwe is an agro-based country we teach our students skills so that they will be in a position to sustain them after leaving this school," Mr. Chingombe said.
The Rev. Enesto Muzerengwa is a communicator for the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference