Mr Madubeko our school head retires after taking us over deep oceans

(Poem dedicated to my former School head at St Dominic`s who retires after churning out thousands of women leaders in Zimbabwe )

He took us to cross deep oceans ,wished us well and swam back to take more girls
For decades he did without counting the cost
Through empowered girls all now big women
Talk of every accountant, doctor, lawyer, architect, pilot
Take the world`s biggest women names ,Baba`s foundation is there
He left you where the river was easy to cross

Areas no father dared take his daughter, he took them there
Physical science, geography, chemistry and even metaphysics
His world of girls struck number first on equality
Whole of Zimbabwe and world over his girls the best of the best
Golden touch and fatherly touch in one
He left us where the ocean was easy to swim

His job was passionate, informed by passion
A few dimes he earned, a thousand girls always learned
Father, Baba, Umdala wethu, Education GURU for girls
Gender equality fight won by one man over five decades
Quietly and yet efficiently and graciously
One man fought for gender equality and won quietly
Today we are over rivers no one dared to take us

He retires quietly in words but loudly in every big woman from his hands
One quote I remember against falling too much for boys and not books
`You may be deep in love with him whilst he is deep in love with his books `
Strong warning to girls to focus more on books and not Zoom boys
They zoomed from St Ignatius into reading space, derailing focus and future
One or two girls fell for babies and never saw the books
But still even for exams he held them by the fatherly hand
To cross a deep ocean which every father feared to cross

Mr Madubeko as we passionately and affectionately called him ndiBaba vedu
There at one Top School for girls, St Dominic’s in valleys of Chishawasha
Only factory for most genius women world over
That gave me one top life I could have lost forever
Took grain from chaff and the best from the worst
To our sir with love , to our pillar with love
Retire with returns from each girl whose background you dug
With each root you anchored us, I am but one
Here look I lift my hand, count me as but one out of thousands

Baba vedu on your retirement be rejuvenated
No speech will say it in short
Year after year, girl after girl
Story of dedication and determination
Just one Guinness book of records in our hearts
Where every father feared to cross the ocean
Mr Madubeko held us girls by his hand as he would hold his daughters
Now you and me will hold him by our hands
Retirement means rest, celebrate ad be celebrated

(Betty Makoni was in the class of 1986 to 1989 .One disadvantaged girl who benefitted from a private scholarship at the school. That empowered her to empower millios of girls and women round the world.)

MONEY CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THOSE IN THE DIASPORA:
RE: DV's Farewell Event on Sunday 20th November @10am kuSanta
Can we please have volunteers/nominations ema representatives who reside in specific geographic areas/countries who can collect money up to Tues 15th November 2011. Then afterwards that person can make a transfer to Loice in Zim ka1 to save on transaction costs.

So far we have the following:

UNITED KINGDOM
Angeline Bure (facebook name) will be collecting money for DV's farewell. Please contact her on 07946268198

ZIMBABWE
Loice Madziyire-Takaona (facebook name) will be collecting contributions as well.
Work address: Innov8 Academy, 1st floor York house, Cnr Angwa & J. Moyo, Harare
Cell: 0772 471 368
Bank Acc Details: Standard Chartered Priority Branch Acc No 8700226186300, Acc Name Loice Takaona