By Style Reporter
Prolific music producer, musician and Music for Development director Forward Mazuruse has reached out to Eunice Jabangwe Children’s Home in Waterfalls through generous donations and talent development.
Speaking to Standard Style, Mazuruse said he felt compelled to reach out after being introduced by Eunice Tava Chikowore an attruist, who is also supporting the home.
“I have always been doing some community development work with Music for Development Foundation around Zimbabwe, but the support for Eunice Jabangwe Children’s Home was after a sister and friend introduced me there,” Mazuruse said.
“I joined her for the usual support visits and I then realised that beyond the material and emotional support, I could assist through the mbira donations that can help hone their musical talents and give them hope.”
During the Music for Development Foundation visit to the home, Mazuruse — who was accompanied by music producer Isheunopa Jere and musician and cleric Bishop Liberty Ticharwa — video director Eli Mhungu, donated mbira to the home.
One of the guests at the handover ceremony, Iwela Jabangwe from Teach for Zimbabwe, thanked Mazuruse and his foundation for the good work.
“Teach for Zimbabwe values collective collaboration with stakeholders concerned with improving the livelihoods of the most marginalised communities,” Jabangwe said.
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“We are working with marginalised schools in Chiredzi and Mutoko. We were really inspired by Music for Development Foundation who are passionately providing opportunities for youths in children’s homes.
“Mbira music is part of our heritage and culture which we should jealously guard. We are looking forward to working with them in all our marginalised schools, to identify and nurture talents amongst our vulnerable communities. I would love to see the future of these youths becoming local and global leaders in music.”
Ticharwa, a product of Mazuruse’s Music for Development Foundation and Revival Studios recording, thanked the music producer for his selflessness.
“Forward Mazuruse, through his Music for Development Foundation and recording studios, has been very supportive of the arts and I thank him for his selflessness,” Ticharwa said.
“I am a product of his exploits having been discovered and given free recording at his Revival Studios. I was able to produce highly successful albums that saw me buying a car while still at school and through this donation to the home I am sure the kids will be inspired to dream.”
The founder of the home, Gogo Patricia Jabangwe, welcomed the gesture by Music for Development Foundation and said she was encouraged by their love and support.
“I was celebrating my 79th birthday and Music for Development came here to celebrate with me and gave generous donations of three mbira instruments so that the children can develop their music talents. They even brought me a cake and celebrated with me,” she said.
“This home started way back after I was involved with Mathew Rusike Children’s Home together with my late husband. I hope we continue to get such support for our work.”
The Eunice Jabangwe Children’s Home gesture comes after Mazuruse recently attended the sixth symposium of the International Conference on Applied Ethnomusicology held in Switzerland hosted by Luzern University, where he represented Zimbabwe and Africa.
“I am really happy to have been part of that conference and such engagements inspire my outreach programmes. Various abstracts are submitted and I presented a paper on the work I am doing in supporting talented but disadvantaged kids and I got accepted,” Mazuruse said.
“After pursuing academia after years of doing music full-time, I really felt encouraged to share the stage with an array of professors from different universities at this symposium. We had participants from 25 countries and about 60 presenters.”
