The Sunday Mail
Frank Kurebwa
At the end of 2016 The Department of Psychomotor Activities in Education organised a consultative dialogue between the Highfield community and the International Pharmacotherapy Education Initiatives (IPERI) at Mushandirapamwe Hotel in Highfield. The aim of the dialogue was to solicit for a buy-in on the advancement of skills development with a special focus on herbal medicine propagation, preparation and packaging in Highfield.
Among the stakeholders who participated at the dialogue was Highfiled West Member of Parliament, Hon Psychology Maziwisa; the district administrator for Highfield, Ms N Tagarira; representatives from the Ministries of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment; Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development; Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development; and Health and Child Care. Also represented was Harare City Council, National Aids Council, Zinatha and Highfield Residents Association.
In her opening remarks, the district administrator underscored the importance of the venue — Mushandirapamwe Hotel which was used by President R. G. Mugabe and other nationalists to hold some of the meetings that culminated into the liberation struggle for Zimbabwe.
She urged the people of Highfield, especially the youth, to embrace psychomotor activities in order to participate in the development of their district.
The Member of Parliament for Highfield West, Honourable Psychology Maziwisa, said he was excited with projects that are brought by the Government to his constituency. He expressed his desire for more youths in his constituency to participated in the dialogue. He pledged to liaise with the district administrator to organise a bigger event were the project would be re-launched.
In his keynote remarks, the Permanent Secretary for Psychomotor Activities in Education, Dr Washington T. Mbizvo highlighted that due to the challenge of high unemployment among the youth, President Mugabe established the Office of the Minister of State for Psychomotor Activities in Education.
The major functions of the Department of Psychomotor includes undertaking research that guides the psychomotor education and training programmes, developing relevant psychomotor instruments appropriate for psychomotor education and utilisation, establishing networks locally, regionally and internationally on psychomotor programmes, establishing model projects that demonstrate psychomotor education best practices, and partnering with private and public entities for transfer of skills on psychomotor projects.
Zimbabwe needs to emulate other countries like Germany, South Korea and India by incorporating psychomotor dimensions into the education system through establishment of special model skills centres and universities.
Dr Mbizvo defined psychomotor as the “application of abilities”, hence the youth should be trained to utilise their knowledge in order to be productive. He emphasised that knowledge that is not put to use is “useless”.
Zimbabwe needs to develop skills in the following categories , lower level skills such as literacy and numeracy, entrepreneurial, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and interpersonal communication skills, middle-level skills such as printing and graphic design, geo-informatics technology, entrepreneurial, taxidermy, mineral assaying, and reverse engineering skills, and high-tech level skills such as computer-aided design, mechatronics, design thinking and entrepreneurial skills, etc.
In line with ZimAsset, the country needs value addition and beneficiation skills. He stressed that value addition would benefit the country through exporting refined products instead of the unrefined form.
A good example was nickel which is exported raw, yet it contains platinum and gold and maize which can be used to produce fuel.
He concluded by emphasising that the incorporation of psychomotor skills into education and training should be treated as urgent.
Professor C. Maponga called for the Highfield community to assume ownership of the IPERI project since it is based on the “asset-based community development” (ABCD) strategy. He highlighted that the project would involve the cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging and marketing of medicinal herbs and traditional vegetables. An in-depth presentation of the process and products of the project was explicitly explained, illustrating how value can be added to local natural herbs.
The participants expressed their appreciation of the IPERI Highfield Psychomotor Project. They said they need sustainable projects that will have long-term impact on their community.
The City of Harare and Zinatha representatives expressed willingness to participate in the IPERI Project. City of Harare is already working with the Highfield community in various projects.
Prof Maponga confirmed that his organisation is already working with people in Highfield and those willing to join the IPERI Highfield Psychomotor Project will receive training. The project is open to all members of Highfield community who wish to join.
The dialogue allayed fears by the Highfield community that the project could be hijacked by dubious individuals as has happened in the past. The district administrator hinted that it was up to the Highfield community to protect their initiatives through continued support and participation.
The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development representative advised the participants that the ministry supports enterprising people.
He highlighted that some people’s skills are not being utilised. The SMEs ministry facilitates training on how to start and run businesses.
The ministry facilitates loans to registered co-operatives and SMEs. He urged people register their co-operatives in order to benefit from these schemes.
The IPERI Project will incorporate similar ones that are already happening in Highfield.
The IPERI Highfield Psychomotor Project will only be implemented in Highfield with the consensus of the community leadership and its members. The initial consultative dialogue on the project is the beginning of more dialogues and action that will culminate in self reliance projects.
