THE Zimbabwe Women's cricket team were treated to a luncheon by their partner, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), at Kuimba Shiri in Harare at the weekend as part of efforts to boost domestic tourism.
Kuimba Shiri is a bird sanctuary situated at the shores of Lake Chivero in the capital and boasts of over 400 bird species of the 660 found in Harare.
Gary Stafford, owner of the place, who has been doing bird collection since 1985, founded Kuimba Shiri in 1992. The Lady Chevrons squad currently playing against Ireland attended the luncheon led by skipper, Mary-Anne Musonda, the entire technical department headed by Walter Chawaguta, manager Carol Nyamande, as well as Zimbabwe Cricket executives, Nesta Vaki, Joyce Kwashira and marketer Kudzai Muza.
“When I was a little boy aged 14, I can remember coming here and just looking at the Musasa trees and the lake and just thinking this must be the most beautiful place to live in the world and many years later I was able to buy this property, 33 years later,” said Stafford during his welcome remarks.
“My whole idea was that I could live here on top of the mountain as a rich man, or I could share my home with people around the world and especially Zimbabweans. I say especially Zimbabweans because a lot of Zimbabweans live in the urban areas, and they have lost the appreciation of the beauty of our own country.
“When you are at Chivero, you look out there, you see the rhino, you see the trees, you see the freshwater, fishing…it's gonna make you proud and ZTA are working so hard to try and encourage people to use our local facility.”
He explained the different scenarios where several birds end up at Kuimba Shiri.
“When you are an African you believe in creation because everything is made so beautifully and when you look at birds you see the complexity of the design of this beautiful creature,” Stafford said.
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“Zimbabwe has over 660 types of birds, around Chivero, 404 types. All my birds come to me over many years as orphaned, injured or had broken homes.”Some of the birds kept at the sanctuary includes the southern ground hornhill, helmeted guineafowl, dardine’s parrot, black-breasted eagle, greenwinged macaw, hooded vulture, African harrier hawk, umbrella cockatoo, tri breed buzzard and a parliament of owls.
Meanwhile, injury continues to blight the Lady Chevrons' camp with experienced all-rounder Ashley Ndiraya spraining her ankle while fielding in the first T20I international against Ireland. Ndiraya will be out for a couple of months. She joins top order batter Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and seamer Audrey Mazvishaya who are battling hamstring injury and hip flexor strain respectively.
The Lady Chevrons are out to save the T20I series this afternoon after losing the first two of the five-match series.
