The one I know best, of course, is my own son Alex-Graham, now almost
hidden away in remotest Tasmania. His adopted home, Queenstown, is
certainly a contrast to Harare – a small mining town of just 3000 in
the coolest and wettest part of the island – but over the past five
years he, and more recently his Zimbabwean wife, Alice, have immersed
themselves in the very mixed community, everyone from tough young
miners to old pensioners who recall vividly the time before there was a
road or cars passing through. Â
How did he end up in such a remote
place? He wanted to get involved in environmental tourism as a break
from medicine (using the other side of my brain!) and bought a
derelict art deco picture theatre in this small town because it was
cheaper than building a new shed! This was for his environmental
project to promote the area, which is in the midst of pristine forests,
mountains, rivers and lakes, with the Southern Ocean shore just 30 km
away.Â
The community, however, soon let him know they wanted their
picture theatre back again – so that's what he decided to do.  They
were so pleased they helped by bringing back items which had been
removed, looking out old photographs and reports and finding the best
people to help restore the building. Now the Paragon Theatre has
reopened in even grander art deco style, with modern facilities like
leather sofas, DVD and video as well as traditional 35mm projectors and
a modern bar and snacks menu. The theatre will screen specially
produced films for tourists, in addition to the normal cinema films.Â
It will also host other social events, having a vast space in front of
the seating.
Meanwhile, Dr Alex is still their medical doctor, so Australia has two for the price of one, from Zimbabwe!
His
best friend, from Harare, is also adding value elsewhere, this time to
the whole of Africa. Gavin Peter is part of a small team in an
exciting new project to transform Africa by educating promising young
African leaders right here on their own continent.Â
Gavin was
part of the furniture of Prince Edward School, having been a pupil
there and then returning to teach after UZ. Everyone was surprised
when he suddenly decided it was time for a change, a few years ago, but
the opportunity to be director of drama at the well-resourced new
international school was too good to be missed. Word somehow got
around that there was some amazing talent in Zimbabwe, and the next
thing he knew he was headhunted to help with the new African Leadership
Academy in Johannesburg.Â
The idea is to select two students
around 16 years old per country every year, and bring them together for
two years, to study for their A levels as well as develop their
leadership skills both individually and as a team. The continental
network they form should assist them in many ways when they return to
their own countries.Â
Interestingly, five Zimbabweans were
selected for the first intake in August last year, because our students
were so brilliant! Further cause for pride, in Gavin's own words:
Our
five Zimbabweans have been outstanding. Out of the 15 academic awards
achieved in the first term, meaning first position in class in a highly
academic school (more than Arundel!), three Zimbabweans took awards –
i.e. the top Entrepreneur, Biologist and Mathematician in Africa for
their year (so to speak) were ours! Yay!
Gavin is a team
facilitator as well as individual counselor, and Graca Machel and
Desmond Tutu are coming to see my school play! He is so proud to fly
the flag among all those nationalities.Â
There are many, many
wonderful Zimbabweans out there doing their own thing and making the
world a better place, or indeed just doing well for themselves.Â
Several are actors, one is a monk making stained glass windows, another
is an opera singer, another installs and services highly sophisticated
hospital equipment all over the world, another helped design the new
Hong Kong airport runway – the list goes on.
Perhaps one day they will be tempted to come back home and do amazing things here in Zimbabwe.
Post published in: News