Around a world with us!

GrSMU became Alma Mater for students from 33 countries. Each of wich has its unique and beautiful culture, history and traditions and today we start a series about it «Around a world with us!».

Hope you’ll enjoy getting this knowledge first-hand from our dear students as much as we did!

MY ZIMBABWE
By: Mitchell Martha Arufinu, 1^st year student

The place where most people own their lands, has so many tourists' attraction areas such as lakes, game parks, ancient curves, I could go on. It is a place that reminds me of a phrase that says ‘good things come in small packages’, thus although it is a small landlocked country it still amazes me with its wonders and riches. Apart from that it has loving, beautiful, loud, creative, diversity yet one and very ancient rooted citizens. This is Zimbabwe.

The name Zimbabwe came from the Shona brick wall called (Dzimba dzemabwe). Zimbabwe’s national bird is called Hungwe.

GREAT ZIMBABWE

This is one of the places of Zimbabwe that is fascinating because the brick wall only has rocks piled on top of each other,in addition it shows the patience, dedication, hardworking nature and unity of Zimbabweans for the pace to become what it is it required all of that.

Victoria falls

Known among locals as “Mosi-oa-Tunya”, this stunning African waterfall is neither the tallest nor most voluminous waterfall in the world, but aside from being among the most spectacular, it is widely regarded as the largest. It is the largest waterfall in Africa and the third tallest in the world.

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK

This is one of Zimbabwe’s most visited areas because of its calmness and very friendly animals. I highly recommend people to see this beauty. When our ancestors were still alive, they formed a tradition of different people having a totem. This tradition was created in order to reduce the unnecessary killing of animals, for each totem is named after an animal. This tradition is still being practised I can proudly say that I am a zebra ( Madhuve for female and Samaita for male). This has led Zimbabwe into having a diversity of species in its national parks and also has reduced the extinction of very rare animals in our parks".

CULTURE

In Zimbabwe we have several preserved traditional dances. However, I would like to enlighten you about one of the most popular traditional dances in my country. Jerusarema Mbende which originates from the Shona of eastern Zimbabwe. It began as a military,fertility, hunting and death dance. All in all it was basically used for ritual purposes.

TRADITIONAL FOODS:

maguru
sadza
mupunga
madora

As we all know every country have its own Heroes and Heroines.

In Zimbabwe we have so many but I would like to talk about the two who paved way to independence namely Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi.

Mbuya Nehanda she was a spirit medium of the Shona people. She passed on in 1898. She was instrumental in the First Chimurenga war. Although the war ended with the shona and ndebele defeated with Nehanda allowing herself to be captured in order to avoid more bloodshed. She declared that her body would rise again to lead a new victorious rebellion.

Sekuru Kaguvi he was a traditionalist leader in pre-colonial Zimbabwe. In 1896 he coordinated together with Nehanda, to helpin organising the opposition to colonial administration. He passed on in 1898. He was known as a source of goood luck in hunting and that he was able to speak to trees and rocks.

This beautiful country gained its independence in 1980 18 April.

The capital city of Zimbabwe is Harare.

The majority of Zimbbweans are Christians.There are two main native languages spoken in our country which are Shona and Ndebele. We stand together in unity and peace and divided we fall.

This my country the one I am so proud of being part of ZIMBABWE.