Meet Honest Shandirwa - 1st year apprentice

Honest Shandirwa

Tell me briefly about your background.
I come from Bulawayo and I live with my grandmother. I have 5 sisters and 4 brothers. I am number 9 in my family. I am 20 years old.

You’ve been at Ebenezer for 2 weeks now – pretty short period but, what do you think of it so far?
I’ve been busy with my fields. I think Ebenezer will teach me business and agricultural skills.

What is your favourite drink?
Mazowe Orange

Who is your favourite musician?
Pastor Charamba (Zimbabwean musician)

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Nkosiphile Nkosi - 1st year apprentice

Nkosiphile Nkosi

Tell me briefly about your background.
I come from Chapo and I am 22 years old. I live with my uncle as both my parents have passed away. I am an only child.

You’ve been at Ebenezer for 2 weeks now – pretty short period but, what do you think of it so far?
I’m enjoying everything at Ebenezer particularly the spiritual lessons with Stephen Manhanga. I’ve also made new friends.

What is your hobbies?
Soccer and singing

What is your favourite television show?
Nigerian movies

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Philani Mpofu - 1st year apprentice

Philani Mpofu

Tell me briefly about your background.
I come from Maphisa. I am 23 years old. I live with my step father and my mother. I have 6 siblings and I’m second last in my family.

You’ve been at Ebenezer for 2 weeks now – pretty short period but, what do you think of it so far?
I’m really interested in the farming and learning how to manage my business. I’m sure Ebenezer will teach me that. I’ve also made new friends.

What is your favourite food?
Sadza and vegetables


What sport do you like?
Soccer

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Trynos Moyo - 1st year apprentice

Trynos Moyo

Tell me briefly about your background.
I come from Bulawayo where I live with my parents. I have 2 older brothers and 3 younger sisters. I am turning 20 years old.

You’ve been at Ebenezer for 2 weeks now – pretty short period but, what do you think of it so far?
I’m hoping to get more knowledge. I’m enjoying the spiritual lessons with Stephen Manhanga. I’s like to know God more and I’d also like to learn how to farm. I have made new friends at Ebenezer.

What is your favourite book?
The Bible and Joyce Meyer books.

What is your favourite sport?
Soccer and volleyball

By Molly Manhanga

The New year begins....

2011 has started and although life at Ebenezer had slowed down somewhat during the festive season, things are pretty much coming back to normal with apprentices and graduates getting down to business in their fields. As we all have enjoyed the rains so far, so have the weeds that have flourished during this season.

This week was the beginning of a two year course at Ebenezer for the first year apprentices. Approximately 13 new apprentices arrived at Ebenezer and were shown to their dorms. They milled around and socialised with other first years as well as those who have been at Ebenezer for a longer time. They had a team building session which proved to be pretty enjoyable. I was in time to watch the tug-of-war (Ebenezer staff versus the first years) quite interesting to observe. The first years won overall. They also had a time with Family Impact on relationships and had their first Spiritual lesson with Stephen Manhanga on “The life of Joseph”.

The first years also spent there first week settling down to life at Ebenezer, making new friends and acquainting themselves with the kitchen staff during meals. The staff is also taking time to get to know the new apprentices and look forward to the years ahead with them.

By Molly Manhanga

Staff house complete...

The Mangena's House....

It's just great seeing the developments at Ebenezer...... The new intake of apprentices have now arrived and Gerald and Laura Mangena's house is almost complete. Nice!

Ebenezer graduation

It was wonderful seeing the turnout at Ebenezer’s second graduation. Proud parents and guardians walked many hours to see their loved ones graduating. People from Harare and Bulawayo made a special effort to attend as well as folk from in and around the Mablauwuni community.

Left to right invited guests: B.J Mpofu, Brian Oldreive, Peter Cunningham, David Cunningham

Our guests of honour were B.J Mpofu – former headmaster of Petra School (Private School in Bulawayo) and Brian Oldreive (Founder and Pioneer of Foundations for Farming). We had our class that was graduating as well as our graduates who had finished a year on our graduate programme.

George Mlilo, responsible for Agriculture at Ebenezer was our master of ceremony and did a great job of introducing people and getting the programme moving. The Union Brothers (Ebenezer’s own male arcapela singing group) entertained the crowd and the skits were good. We had our own Ebenezer Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) news where the graduates reported on what was happening at Ebenezer – the latest news.

B.J Mpofu (left) with George Mlilo (right)

The speech from B.J Mpofu was inspirational as he shared abit about his 38 years in Education and encouraged not only the graduating class but all the apprentices, on the importance of education and following ones dreams. All things are possible. Brian was amazing as usual as he shared on the heart of Foundations for Farming: being faithful with little, doing things on time, God’s Kingdom being the upside down Kingdom, how God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, in order to go up, one must go down, not doing things for ourselves or being selfish. He encouraged the young people to farm and cited that the first job God gave Adam in the Bible was to tend to the garden. Brian shared magnificently on heart issues.

Time for the graduation itself to begin; As the graduating class and graduates went up to receive their awards, it was wonderful seeing the parents and guardians run up to hug their loved ones and congratulate them. The graduating class each received a certificate for their completion of 2 years, a shovel and a hoe. Special awards were given to those who excelled in Spiritual, Business and Agriculture. We also gave a prize to the overall, most well rounded and behaved apprentice and that went to Bukhosi Dube.

Brian Oldreive

Renee Cunningham gave a vote of thanks and we all had lunch and fellowshipped together. It was a good graduation and we now look forward to the new intake of apprentices arriving on 4th January 2011.

Some of the parents and guardians attending the graduation ceremony




By Molly Manhanga