Calendar + AU Vice Chancellor Murapa
A few days ago last week I updated the team events calendar/schedule using a simple text file. The original format wasn’t very effective in a low-bandwidth environment. I just thought I’d let everyone know in case you’re interested in finding out what we’re up to each day.
One unexpected change in the schedule that happened just yesterday is that we got to talk with Africa University’s vice chancellor, Rukudzo Joseph Murapa, in a short informal meeting at our hotel last night. He told an inspiring story about how he was born and grew up in this very area of Zimbabwe, went to study and work in the US for several years (for such politicians as Hubert Humphrey and Everett Dirkson and then for organizations like the World Bank), and then eventually came back to Zimbabwe and Africa University (AU).
Mr. Murapa said that although he’s officially charged with implementing the AU master plan (which calls for adding two additional “faculties” — schools — before 2008) his own personal passion is the establishment of an Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance at AU. His dream is to create a permanent program to will train Africa’s future and current leaders and help them bring lasting prosperity to their countries through peace and through transparent, people-oriented government — a goal and a point of view that’s quite certainly shared universally by the AU students (and hopefully future leaders) from the DRC (Congo), Mozambique, Angola, and Burundi that I’ve been helping the past few days in English.
Hey Sue,
Your sisters in Christ really miss you, but hope you are being blessed by your trip in every way! This web site is a great and keeps us wanting to see and hear more about what you are doing! We can’t wait to hear from you in person. May God bless you and the team, keep you and make His face to shine on each of you and from within each of you!
Karen