Staff Reporter
Mbizo High School headmaster Steni Chamunorwa has commended the Kwekwe Publicity Association for organising the Kwekwe Expo, saying the annual exhibition provides opportunities to promote local products, showcase talent and support the city’s development.
Speaking during the official opening of the 15th edition of the Kwekwe Expo at Queens Sports Club last Friday, Chamunorwa said his school participated in the exhibition for the first time after recognising its potential to promote heritage-based education and expose learners to opportunities within their community.
He said the exhibition aligned with the heritage-based curriculum, which encourages learners to understand their surroundings, appreciate their cultural identity and explore ways of using locally available resources for development.
“When we are talking of heritage-based curriculum in schools, we are saying students must understand their environs as this is the backbone for their development,” said Chamunorwa.
He urged schools and other stakeholders to support initiatives that give learners opportunities to showcase their abilities while promoting indigenous languages and local products.
Chamunorwa also called for greater support for locally manufactured goods, warning that failure to develop and promote domestic products could leave local markets increasingly dependent on foreign imports.
“If we don’t encourage our children to buy local products, they will continue to buy foreign goods,” he said.
He challenged stakeholders to look beyond the domestic market and explore opportunities to export locally produced goods, arguing that this could help expand the country’s economic prospects.
Chamunorwa further called for investment in home-grown innovation, including artificial intelligence, saying Zimbabwe should develop its own technological solutions rather than rely solely on foreign innovations.
He said exhibitions such as the Kwekwe Expo could help nurture young people’s talents and equip them with a better understanding of how their cultural heritage and local resources could contribute to economic development.
The 15th edition of the Kwekwe Expo was officially opened by Kwekwe mayor Cllr Albert Zinhanga last Friday.
