By Byron Mutingwende
Learning involves discovering the world around us and one such way is through the tourism programme that the Good Care Pre-school is offering to its pupils. Recently, children were taken on a trip to Mbizi Game Park where they learnt more about Zimbabwe’s rich flora and fauna.
On the 23rd of July 2018, fifty pupils from Good Care Pre-school embarked on the journey to Mbizi Game Park early in the morning.
Mbizi Game Park is a peaceful, natural haven within 10 km of the Robert Mugabe International Airport. The pupils were driven through the Robert Mugabe International Airport where they stopped to have a glimpse of the aeroplanes and the airport.
Rutendo Chinzara, a teacher at Good Care Pre-school took the children through some career guidance lessons after one of the intelligent pupils, Emmanuella Mlambo was impressed by the way the aeroplanes took off and asked how she would become a pilot since it is her dream job.
“Specialist jobs like becoming a medical doctor, architect or pilot requires that you embrace good discipline and study hard at school since these fields require intelligent people academically. I therefore urge you to work hard so that some of you may be pilots or doctors in future,” Ms Chinzara said.
On arrival at Mbizi Game Park, the children were mesmerised by the green lawns and shaded tables in the tea garden. No sooner had they settled than they saw some moneys picking up some oranges and playing with people.
In their kindergarten books, the pupils read about the cool musasa trees but on this day, they experienced the shade of a variety of tree species found at this rendezvous. At the reception, hospitable tour guides who explained what the pupils would expect to see during the safari welcomed them. They were given some food and drinks before they took a walk into the bush.
At Mbizi Game Park is an impressive hilltop swimming pool with a beautiful 360-degree view of the surrounds. Some of the pupils who are in the swimming club wanted to dive into the pool but were restrained by their teachers who explained that they wanted to view a variety of animals within the game park.
One of the tour guides explained that another relaxing spot at Mbizi is a short drive from the main lodge. The lakeside picnic area offers a arge shaded seating and play area, plentiful parking, as well as a permanent open-sided function room and toilets. This would make a great place for day-visitors from Harare to bring friends for an afternoon of food and games.
Within 10 minutes of getting into the bush, the pupils came face to face with a beautiful herd of zebras that grazed gracefully in the afternoon sun. Their beautiful brown, black and white stripes kept pupils glued to them. There is also a variety of small wildlife including egrets, herons, jacana, kingfisher, and leguaan lizards. The tour guides told pupils about the “honeymoon spot” on the riverbank where pythons meet each year to mate and lay eggs.
The pupils were driven through the game park where they saw some elands, giraffes, zebras and impalas. They were impressed by the high speed of the impala. The guides explained that impalas also make some good and delicious meat.
The teachers explained that the next trip would be to the Hwange National Park where they would be able to have an encounter with the big five animals namely elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo.