By Gilbert Munetsi
On Monday, May 25, the Panyatsime Cultural and Heritage Centre in Zengeza, Chitungwiza, came alive with the rhythm of traditional drums. Pupils, students, teachers, and cultural custodians gathered to mark Africa Day in an event that brought together music, learning, and heritage.
For many young visitors, the occasion was more than a celebration. It was a deeper journey into African identity, tradition, and history, and a reminder that cultural knowledge should not be left behind as societies modernize.
Panyatsime hosted groups from nearby schools, including B and P Private School and Best Learners Infant School from the Besa area in Seke. Through guided tours, cultural demonstrations, storytelling, and discussions linked to Zimbabwe’s heritage-based education, learners explored why protecting traditional practices still matters in a rapidly changing world.
Africa Day is observed every May 25 to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, the predecessor to today’s African Union. The day symbolizes continental unity, liberation, and cultural pride.
At Panyatsime, that message took on a personal meaning. The centre used the occasion to help young Zimbabweans reconnect with their roots, showing them that heritage is not only part of the past but also a foundation for how communities live today.
As traditional songs filled the grounds, students moved from hut to hut examining tools, artefacts, cooking vessels, musical instruments, and other elements of everyday Zimbabwean life. The activities turned heritage into active learning rather than passive observation.
Speaking after the visit, Godwin Mavurayi, principal of B and P, said cultural visits are essential for helping learners understand who they are and where they come from.
“Our learners are growing up in a generation heavily shaped by foreign cultures through technology and social media,” he said. “When they come to a place like this, they begin to appreciate who they are as Africans and Zimbabweans. They see that our traditions are not backward. They form the foundation of our values, discipline, and identity.”
Mavurayi added that Zimbabwe’s heritage-based curriculum is meant to be lived and experienced. “It is not supposed to remain theoretical,” he explained. “When students see traditional grain storage, cooking methods, cultural symbols, and hear oral histories, learning becomes real. It creates a deeper appreciation of history and culture.”
He also highlighted the role heritage spaces play in strengthening shared values such as Ubuntu: respect, community responsibility, humility, and unity.
For the Best Learners Infant School delegation, the value of the visit began with the age of the learners. Patience Kapere, who led the group, said introducing culture to very young children is critical.
“Exposing them to our culture early is extremely important,” she said. “When children understand their roots, they grow up confident about who they are. They develop pride in their language, traditions, and history.”
Kapere warned that phones, television, and international digital content can quietly pull children away from local culture. “Bringing them to a cultural centre allows them to experience something real and authentic,” she said. “They touch, see, and hear their ancestors’ stories. That kind of learning stays with them for life.”
She praised Panyatsime for offering meaningful engagement, describing it as more than a tourist site. “This is an educational institution in its own right. The lessons children get here shape character, patriotism, and cultural awareness.”
Panyatsime has grown into one of Zimbabwe’s important community-based heritage facilities. Director Rumbidzai Dihwa said the centre was established to preserve and promote African culture while ensuring younger generations remain connected to heritage, including indigenous knowledge systems.
“Our vision is to preserve, promote, and pass on African culture to future generations,” she said in earlier interviews. “We realized many young people were growing up without understanding their traditions, customs, and indigenous knowledge systems. The centre was created to bridge that gap.”
Dihwa emphasized that Panyatsime is not only a place for storing artefacts. It is intended to be a living classroom. “We want visitors to experience culture, not just observe it,” she said. “Learners interact with traditional practices, architecture, storytelling, music, and food. Practical engagement creates lasting appreciation.”
She also framed heritage education as part of nation building: “A nation that forgets its culture loses its identity. Culture gives people confidence, pride, and continuity.”
The significance of the day extended beyond Panyatsime. Like many African countries, Zimbabwe continues to balance modern progress with cultural preservation. Urbanization, technology, and global influence can improve lives, but they can also weaken indigenous languages, traditional customs, and communal ways of living.
Events like Africa Day at Panyatsime help reinforce the idea that development does not have to come at the expense of identity.
Throughout the programme, students discussed liberation history, traditional leadership structures, and how indigenous knowledge contributes to sustainable living. Teachers explained practices such as community-based environmental conservation, herbal medicine, communal labor systems, and oral learning—traditions that sustained societies long before colonial systems arrived.
Learners watched traditional dances and performances that highlighted values of resilience and unity. For some children, it was the first time seeing certain customs performed in person. Elder women demonstrated traditional food preparation, while another group engaged learners through proverbs and moral storytelling. The curiosity on the children’s faces showed the impact of the day.
Zimbabwe’s heritage-based curriculum places local culture, history, and indigenous knowledge at the center of learning, encouraging students to value their community, language, and environment while building practical life skills. However, many schools struggle to put these lessons into action beyond the classroom.
That is why partnerships between schools and heritage centers such as Panyatsime are so valuable. They help transform abstract learning into lived experience.
For the visiting schools, the outing was not only educational; it was a step toward cultural continuity. Mavurayi warned that the future of African culture depends on how well young people understand its worth.
“If we fail to teach our children about their culture, someone else will teach them to despise it,” he said. “Africa Day should not only be about speeches and celebrations. It should be about reclaiming our identity and ensuring our young people understand where they come from.”
Kapere echoed this, linking cultural education to self-esteem and national pride. “When children appreciate their culture, they also appreciate themselves,” she said. “They grow up respecting others, their communities, and the values that hold society together.”
As the activities ended, students posed for photographs beside traditional huts while mbira music drifted through the centre. At first glance, the day may have looked like a joyful school visit. But beneath the dancing, singing, and storytelling was a clear purpose: helping preserve Africa’s soul through its children.
In a world where cultural homogenization threatens diversity, institutions like Panyatsime quietly fulfill an important civic role—preserving memory, protecting identity, and reminding young people that before they move through the modern world, they must first understand the heritage that formed them.
As Africa marked another year of unity and liberation, the message from Panyatsime was unmistakable: the continent’s future depends not only on economic progress and technology, but also on whether people continue to value the traditions, wisdom, and identity that define them.
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