Gabriel Marquez busy at his desk. AP photo from First Post....
Over forty
years ago when I was at Ilboru Secondary School, teachers encouraged education
in various ways. Take Mr Hopland from Norway. During my form two year he
offered weekly prizes if you read many books. I recall getting my share of
glory. It has since helped me in pursuit of knowledge. Or the beloved
literature Zimbabwean lady, Mama Victoria Chitepo. She used to sit in front of
our form three class, shouting sternly:
“Boys! I want
you all to look at my face! Boys! Come on!”
It was slightly
intimidating to keep a steady stare. Think. We averaged 16 and 17 years and
uneasy about females. The age of broken
innocence- when you begin viewing women other than respectful mothers, aunties,
sisters and grandmothers.
But Mama
Chitepo (pictured in the middle) had a peculiar manner of teaching. She was also foreign. Around that time, Ilboru Secondary School-
late 1960s to early 1970s... was a “palace” of international teachers. We had
Scandinavians, Americans, British, West, East and South Africans, not to
mention Tanzanians. Years of serious, serious education.
