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The current political turmoil in Zimbabwe encircles around the fear and lack of quality leadership in many parts of the country and mostly the inhabitants of the country. However, the children and young people of Zimbabwe have triumphed over the status and conditions of their lives. In essence, what is truly troubling about the situation is Zimbabwe is apparent that it is a power struggle of two parties who have both failed to put the needs of its people before the needs of their respective parties.
- The building of self esteem and self worth should be reflected in my identity and the environment that surrounds me as an individual.
- Encourage the youth that they can do anything you have to be an artist to be able to paint but that is not always possible.
- I am an African child and I got a chance to express myself with different colours to reflect how proud I am of my continent diverse cultures.
- Being able to express y feelings and thoughts made me realize that I am able to be proud of being an African child and my African roots.
- The self portraits made me realize that we are all special we may be different but in our difference of African soil are made to honour the same values of life love and respect.
Developing love of country citizenship and patriotism
- The flags helped us reflect the different places we care from and made us love and appreciate our surroundings more.
- Showing the beauty of our diverse cultures and embracing them in their unique ways is a beautiful thing that makes us aware of how we are part of a bigger picture.
- The participation of the children and young people in this continent must begin seeing themselves as part of the solution and not part of the problem but the impact of the HIV/AIDS, poverty and lack of education has redressed most efforts.
- Raising awareness of the way life in our country has mostly affected the children and young people and that has not made the efforts of the SADC and other governmental institutions to be more decisive of what needs to be done in Zimbabwe.
- And the truth is only they have the ability to make change the situation in Zimbabwe drastically if they want to; in addition they posses the power to channel their efforts in such a way that makes Zimbabwe a better place to live in.
- This kind of leadership makes us children to lose hope and not participate in the things that are good instead we participate in things like crime, underage sexual activities, also we need to have good role models and they must give good examples long with the provision of good access to knowledge that is good and is able to help others.
Learning to express and communicate
- Creative writing is a vibrant way of voicing out, people who are afraid to voice out for themselves It helps the surroundings to express themselves through writing.
- It also imprints pictures in us of what ever experience the poet is pointing, it is a call about the way education is the key to all and not just school education but all kinds of learning area's, it educates and entertain, creative writing updates people on incident happening around us.
- Good communication is needed to all African children they must be given to express their feelings through writing, painting and verbally. Oration art should also be included.
- Foundations of history from the different songs coming from the different countries were talking about his leadership and the legacy he gave to children dignity and the bill of rights as well as education.
Food Security in Zimbabwe
- Until recently the profile of Zimbabwean agriculture, was divided between large white-owned commercial farms producing mostly cash crops such as tobacco on about 25% of the available land, alongside traditional African small "communal farms" largely growing cereals.
- The supply and marketing infrastructure developed for commercial farms simultaneously ensured that the communal sector was better supported than would otherwise have been the case and Zimbabwe was known as the bread basket of Southern Africa.
- Land reforms have aimed to reverse the racially divisive distribution of the colonial period but the government's expropriation of properties managed by white farmers proved unplanned and chaotic, allowing the broader infrastructure of the sector to collapse.
- Government policies have failed to ensure adequate training and access to seed and fertiliser inputs, irrigation structures have not been maintained and price controls have diminished the basic incentive to farm. Drought and floods have been partly to blame but, with stories circulating that many farmers find it more profitable to sell firewood than tend their land the government is now stepping in to reclaim some of the expropriated farms.
- Projections for the 2008/09 cereal harvest are 40% down on 2007, meeting less than half of Zimbabwe's own requirements. Although imported food is arriving from Malawi and Zambia, Zimbabwe lacks the foreign exchange necessary to feed its own people. Having refused entry to the Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Food Programme (WFP) in 2006, the government has backtracked in allowing these agencies to return. Their prediction is that, by the peak of the hunger season in March 2009, 5.1 million people will be in need of food aid, about 40% of the population and an increase of 1.0 million over 2008. The UN has already launched a massive humanitarian appeal for 2008 for over $300 million. Donors will be concerned that the government's aid distribution will overcome a history of inefficiency and bias at election times. Health and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe
- Malnutrition has inevitable consequences for health indicators, affecting especially the young, old and those living with AIDS.
- Life expectancy in Zimbabwe may now have fallen below 40 years, possibly the lowest in the world. Child mortality has increased 50% since 1990 with one in eight children dying before the age of five and about a third of all children have stunted growth. The chronic state of water provision and sewage treatment in the two major cities, Harare and Bulawayo, presents a potential urban health crisis.
- On a brighter note, the number of malaria cases fell dramatically from 3.0 million in 2004 to 1.8 million in 2006, with 70% of children now sleeping under treated bed-nets. The prevalence of HIV has also fallen sharply from 26.1% in 2001 to 15.6% in 2007, partly through mortality but also through essential behaviour change supported by high awareness amongst young people of the risks of HIV. Local and international support has been solicited and people have united against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other major diseases, achieving this significant progress.
- Nevertheless, HIV/AIDS has taken a terrible toll in human terms. Approximately 1.0 million children have been orphaned and over 1.3 million people live with HIV out of a population of 13.1 million. Whilst the Zimbabwe national HIV and AIDS strategic plan 2006-2010 (ZNASP) includes the goal of universal treatment, only 38% of those in need currently receive antiretroviral drugs. Progress is currently hampered by delays in the release of foreign currency received from donors by the Zimbabwe central bank - agencies have been forced to make complex arrangements to avoid interruption in treatment.
- It is reflected in my view that all the people who live in Zimbabwe need to start thinking about what they want in future by being assertive with the needs of their country.
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