By Tawanda Chenana

WE, in the village, have a very close affinity to the land.
We do not just walk and play on the land, we live off it, we have a symbiotic relationship with it, it sustains us while we nourish it with the sweat from our brow.
In the village, when we do what we do, we seek no accolades for there is no victory or loss, just plain service.
It is expected, naturally.
In the village, we have been raised to be aware of our surroundings, to always be of service in all areas that make life better and, most importantly, to render service without being asked.
Being raised this way, a good number of us, wherever we are in the world, the village is constantly on our minds.
In the village, a son or daughter is expected to serve.
Those from the village, raised and protected by the village, will tell you it is no sacrifice, it is no work, it is no pain, to give back to the parents, uncles, aunts, sisters, brothers, friends, nephews and nieces one grew up with.
We do what we can.
And not because we have a lot, but because it is the right thing to do.
The ‘Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe liyakhwa ngabanikazi’ philosophy is not mere rhetoric.
In the new dispensation, we have a clear understanding of issues that concern us as a people and effective action has become the hallmark of the Second Republic.
In the village, we do not wait for the best time to serve or hold on until such and such a moment, everyday we do what we can, where we are, with whatever we have.
We have all the confidence in our Government.
Our villages need us; for without our input, we will not achieve the high standard of life we dream of.
Our work to ensure the people’s wellbeing should be of paramount importance, influenced by no other motive but that of improving livelihoods.
Our focus, always, is on how we can improve our communities.
You and I, everyone, in their sphere must champion causes bigger than themselves, greater than the individual
Always, we must do our best to make things right not for accolades but because, in our small or big way, we can.
Helping out, assisting others are the only investments that never fail.
In the Second Republic, our capacity to respond to various challenges facing us as a nation has been greatly enhanced — we must not shy from service, no reason is good enough not to help.
The boy or girl who will get medical care on time will go on to become the scientist who comes up with an innovation that will transform our country. Assistance should not be limited to out-of-the-ordinary circumstances; let it be incorporated into the very fabric of our day-to-day existence.
It is imperative that we go about our work, our duty, without looking up to be Number One.
It is not necessary to deliver and extend support for ulterior motives.
If we were to adopt this way of thinking and living, the world would become violently competitive, selfish, gloomy and callous.
Let us open our lives and give service to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Service to the community is important not only because we are doing good and benefitting our communities but also because helping, in any way, teaches us comparison and understanding as well as appreciation of the trials and tribulations of our neighbours.
Even the helper benefits as much as those helped — we are exposed to experiences that enrich our lives.
The service can be as small as supplying brooms for cleanup campaigns or as big as constructing a school or clinic, all those things have something in common; we are doing something to change and transform our communities.
Service, assistance — never donation— gives one experience to cherish for a lifetime; we become advocates for others and promote issues of importance in our communities.
By extending support in various forms, we bridge the gaps between our people.
We have withstood risks, challenges and trials in the political, economic, ideological and natural domains, secured historic achievements and seen historic changes and gains in the country.
We are working on the great Zimbabwean dream of an upper-middle income economy by 2030, to be achieved by Zimbabweans, for Zimbabweans.
We have made well-co-ordinated efforts to advance the dream of a great Zimbabwe; Iwe neni tine basa/Mina lawe silomsebenzi.
Let us continue doing the work — Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe liyakhwa ngabanikazi.