Evangelistic Poetry & Zimbabwe’s Adult Literacy Campaign: Two Major Assignments by a Former Btc Student 1984-87

By Innocent Blessed Chirawu

Evangelistic Poetry & Zimbabwe’s Adult Literacy Campaign: Two major assignments by a former BTC Student 1984-87 as the title states are two pieces of inspirational and literary research work written in the form of both a depth study and a major assignment for the Belvedere Teacher’s College departments of English and Education respectively. Due to the time gap of over three decades between the time when I wrote the original assignments and the time I eventually managed to get the two tasks published, I must admit, as I converted the handwritten assignments into a typed manuscript, I felt obliged to alter some parts of it and this was a bit more pronounced in the Evangelistic poetry probably because right from its onset it was dominantly more of what some readers might others might view as personal views or personal convictions which, I however personally view as dominantly ‘divine inspiration’. Consistent with my original intention, the poems seek to function as a vehicle which a reader can aboard and allow the Spirit of God drive them to their conviction or conversion point to experience the new spiritual birth if they have never reached that point before. Hence, in comparison with orthodox religious poems, these are basically preaching poems aimed at winning the reader’s soul for Christ if they are not ‘born again’. Part 2 of the book mainly discusses Zimbabwe’s post independence National Adult Literacy Campaign; problems and progress. It gives the reader a glimpse of the background and foundation work which eventually upgraded Zimbabwe to a status of into having the highest rate of literacy (reportedly around 92%) in contemporary Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728398754

Innocent Blessed Chirawu

Innocent B. (Hondo) Chirawu a.k.a. Mudi was born in the then apartheid Rhodesia and as a child lived in what was then known as Chiweshe Tribal Trustland, Mazowe district of Mashonaland Central province of present day Zimbabwe. He went to Salvation Army’s Nyachuru Primary and Howard Secondary. Although Innocent was top set student who came top of 3 Form 4 classes in Midyear Bible Knowledge exams, as a teenager, a bad experience with skunk nearly cost him his final ‘O’ Level exams and his future, but Jesus Christ found him through some of his ministers who helped him make a u-turn on his old lifestyle whereby he used to believe in ‘live fast, die young’ and ‘adhored the hippy culture and idolised one of the late rock stars of the 70’s’. After getting born again Innocent was miraculously healed in an AoGA church revival where Apostle JK from Kenya was ministering as an invited guest (a detailed testimony is Innocent’s first book Memoirs of innocence & Experience). During that same year Innocent studied ’A’ Level English and Sociology at Ranche House and Harare Poly respectively. His first job clerical with Standard Chartered Bank before he resigned into full time church ministry, completed his Diploma in Theology at IBTC in W.Africa. He afterwards graduated in Woodwork and English from Belvedere Teachers College, taught at Mvurwi Secondary School (1988-91) and Seke 1 High (1992-96) then gained his Bachelor of Education from Zimbabwe Open University (Zou) while teaching full time at Zengeza 3 High (1996-1999) where he was also Head of English department before he joined the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe’s The Daily News stable as a trainee sub-editor. He worked for the tabloid for approximately three (3) years doubling as graphic designer and assistant chief proofreader while he did part-time editing of undergraduate and postgraduate modules for Zou and also completed his first year in BA Media production before he migrated to the UK in 2001. In the UK, Innocent did further training, graduated from Nottingham Trent university with a PGCE Design & Technology ( Resistant Materials and Electronics/Graphics) and worked mostly as a supply teacher of his specialist subjects as well a general cover supervisor across the curriculum in over forty (40)secondary schools and a few nursery schools through various agencies. In between all this busy schedule, Innocent also studied and completed his Masters in Education Practice degree with De Montfort University (Sept 2010-Sept 2011). Without taking any break, he proceeded to study nursing at the University of Nottingham where against all odds his obtained his nursing qualification and became a registered mental health nurse. In recognition of his rich experience and veteran status in the field of education practice and educational leadership, Innocent was conferred with a doctorate in educational leadership by Riverbanks (USA).

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© 2020 Innocent Blessed (Hondo) Chirawu. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/14/2020

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9876-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-9875-4 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

To my late grandmother Ambuya Princess Josephine K.M. Hondo (nee Chiweshe) my childhood heron

who raised me from the time I had only ‘four teeth’ as she used to tell me and passed on hardly six months after Zimbabwe’s Independence in 1980.-

My late mother Elizabeth T. Dzungu (nee Hondo) who passed on in 2003, my late father Canaan W. Chirawu who passed on in 1991, my late uncles, The Hondos who were my guardians and male role models from childhood to adulthood.

This book is dedicated to their memories:

Muzororore ne rugare

I would like also to express my gratitude and appreciation to Mama Mavis, Tapiwa (W), Ruth (Dr Tee) and Vimbai (Ree) for the support they gave me especially in terms of retrieving from Zimbabwe, where I written off as lost, the original hard copies of the two assignments which make this book as well as financing the publication of this particular book. Stay blessed, family.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

For both task I would like to give all the glory to God my Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for keeping me alive and enabling me to both complete the researches as well as inspiring me with what I perceive to be more than religious poetry in the first task which was submitted to the department of English. For that same task my heartfelt gratitude also goes to Dr. F. Mugore for the support and mentorship she availed to me during the writing of the work.

For the latter task which was submitted to the department of Education my heartfelt gratitude goes to the following gentleman: The late Mr. Njagu (Educational Officer Harare, regional office) for his co-operation and support in both terms of his time, information and materials without which my research work have been futile; Mr. C. Chitando my former lecturer in education and first marker of the task and last but not least Mr. S. Mudzamiri my former lecturer in education and second marker or moderator of the task.

I would also like to acknowledge the reader the fact that some parts of the original work especially with regards to The Depth Study or ‘My Evangelical Poetry work’ were re-edited; some texts removed, altered or added on: all this due to the fact that poems were self-composed and inspiration linked the interpretations thereof somehow subjective, hence new inspirations and experiences between 1987 and now have necessitated the re-editing exercise. The other contributing factor is ‘some suggestions, comments and requests for elaboration and clarification etc" which were expressed in red ink by my then mentor when she was marking the work. However, I tried my best to keep the Education document (The Zimbabwe National Adult Literacy Campaign: Problems and Progress) as unaltered as possible since the document was based entirely on factual academic research, I carried out concerning afore-stasted programme in post-Independent Zimbabwe of the ‘80s.

Last but not least I would also like acknowledge the amount of support of spiritual and mission house based accommodationin Harare, I received from them around the time when I worked on the two tasks which make this book: Pastors S and T Manyika, Pastor W. Rupapa, Pastors M and M Gwese.

PREFACE

The pages that follow contain two pieces of inspirational and literary research work written in the form of both a depth study and a major assignment for the departments of English and Education respectively. It cannot go without mentioning that the latter task passed with a distinction or ‘A’ grade even after moderation by a second marker who also noted and endorsed the comments by the first marker which read as follows:

• A good essay

• The essay shows that the candidate has carried out extensive research work

• The candidate should have this piece of work typed and a copy can be deposited with the B.T.C Library

Both tasks were written by Innocent B.Hondo Chirawu and submitted to the appropriate departments of Belvedere Teacher’s College as part of the requirement for his Certificate in Education teacher’s training at secondary school level.

NAME: Innocent Blessed (Hondo) Chirawu

TOPIC: Religious Poetry

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the University of Zimbabwe associate college centre requirement for the General Certificate of Education