IT is common knowledge that Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa and that its people are on high demand in various arenas the world over.
Despite numerous challenges caused by illegal sanctions imposed against the country by Britain and its allies, the country’s educational institutions continue to churn out top notch graduates. This trend, of producing the best, is being experienced in forestry colleges around the country.
So good have been the colleges that they are attracting students from the region.
Forestry training in the country dates back to the 1930s when the first campus was opened at Mtao near Mvuma, in the Midlands Province.
Due to limited demand for foresters enrolment was restricted only to a few students and the programmes offered varied between certificate and diploma training on alternate years.
The strategy was to train only enough personnel targeted for the forest industry.
Over the years forestry training was relocated to the eastern highlands closer to the hub of the forestry industry. In 1980 forestry training expanded to offer training in wood technology and saw-doctoring.
Presently forestry training colleges are located at Christmas Pass just outside the city of Mutare and are made up of two main campuses, the Christmas Pass Campus and the Nyabara Campus. The Christmas Pass Campus is made up of two colleges, the Zimbabwe College of Forestry (ZCF) and the Forest Industries Training Centre (FITC).
ZCF offers certificate and diploma programmes in forestry while FITC offers a certificate in saw-doctoring and a diploma in wood technology.
The Nyabara campus located 10 kilometres from Christmas Pass along the Penhalonga road serves as the main centre for practical lessons.
The two colleges (ZFC/FITC) are equal opportunity training institutions catering mostly for the human resources needs for the SADC community.
Forest Industries Training Centre and Zimbabwe College of Forestry recently held their 21st graduation ceremony with an impressive representation of students from the region a testimony of the excellent service offered by the two institutions.
Speaking during the graduation in Mutare, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate Prince Mupazviriwo said efforts by the two colleges must also help in addressing climate change issues currently bedevilling Zimbabwe and the world.
“What we are doing here will help address new issues in climate change,” Mupazviriwo said.
“The climate change summit held in New York this year called upon all countries to keep abreast on these issues by mitigating and adapting to climate change.”
Zimbabwe is now experiencing more hot days compared to cold ones.
Trees and forests are important for a climate system as they act as carbon sinks, but the country is losing an average of 300 000 hectares of trees annually.
Reducing the loss of trees and increasing forest cover will enhance resilience to climate change.
Principal Joyce Gombe said this year’s graduation concentrated on the need for students to adapt to climate change.
“This year we trained our graduates to have exposure to climate change and forestry plays a critical role in climate change adaptation,” said Gombe.
“Seasons have changed and there are effects of climate change and so we have been training our graduates to be self-sufficient afterwards even without formal employment.
“The enrolment of students from countries such as Swaziland shows that we are promoting quality and this has made our students be recognised in the region.
“In cooperation between Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Malawi, South Africa has agreed to let our graduates go to South Africa for bachelor’s degrees because we are offering good courses.
“We have had students from Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Angola.”
Baxter Mbalenhle a graduate from Swaziland said the programmes on offer were top-notch.
“It was hard at first, but with the excellent teachers it got better,” Mbalenhle said. “There are many opportunities in the forestry industry back home and with the skills I have acquired I will have a job waiting for me.”
Thulisile Gamedze, aunt to Baxter, said the graduation of her niece made her proud and confident in the institution.
“We are proud, she is the first in the family to come to Zimbabwe for this course and she has succeeded,” said Gamedze.
“We are impressed with the quality of education at this college and students from this college excel when they get back home.
“The principal’s readiness to assist with any problem makes it an ideal institution for our children who will be far away from home.”