User:Fduri/Chinyenyetu Primary School

Chinyenyet Primary School is in Gokwe District, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. It derives its name from a hill called Chinyenyetu, also called Nyenyetu or mapfungautsi.

Its almost central location offers the best services for other locations in the district such as Nembudziya, Goredema, and Sessami.

Southern Baptists (who had opened a mission in 1950 at Sanyati) founded this primary school-and a few others-in 1963 with the goal of spreading the Gospel through education to the then virgin land inhabited by the Africans who had been forcibly re-located by the then white-ruled Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.

Chinyenyetu Primary School prides itself in the way it came into existence. The first class comprised of 50 pupils and one teacher (Mr. Banda) opened its door in January, 1963, under a tree, without notebooks, pencils, or text books. There were no buildings except the teacher's house made of corrugated metal roof and walls. Each subsequent year, however, saw a gradual growth with the addition of one Grade, one new teacher, and one classroom erected. Unique in the building process was the fact that the pupils themselves greatly contributed in the molding and baking of bricks that built the school's classrooms. By 1970 the school had advanced to the Seventh Grade, with Mr. Banda as its Headmaster.

Plans to expand have been hampered by the country's stagnant economy, a problem prevalent throughout the country. Despite this and other difficulties, Chinyenyetu Primary School has produced some of the successful students who have become great contributors in the development of the educational system of the country. Some of its graduates are pharmacists, while others have gone overseas for university education.

Subsequently, Mr T.G. Marongwe took over from Mr Banda. Mr Marongwe was a local gentlement. He did exceptionally well in expanding Chinyenyetu Primary School. Mr Marongwe was an exceptional choir master, By 1978 the school had two streams running from Grade 1 to Grade 7. By 1981 it had established three streams and the growth became phenomenal since then. Mr Marongwe's contribution will live forever and he joined Mr Banda as two great, great legends of Chinyenyetu School. Mr Marongwe oversaw the constuction of the first secondary school in the area, that is, Chinyeyetu Makore High School. It has a Sixth Form stream running as we speak. There is electricity in both primary and secondary schools. The secondary school has a laboratory which is functioning although it requires constant restocking.