University honors Murapa's 10 years of service

Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo (left) and the Rev. Beauty Maenzanise share a dance with Rukudzo Murapa at a farewell dinner honoring Murapa’s years of leadership at Africa University. UMNS photos by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - While Africa University has grown in size and enrollment in the past 10 years, an even greater future lies ahead, according to the school's outgoing vice chancellor.

The United Methodist-related school has more than doubled its student population to nearly 1,400 during the past decade, but Rukudzo Murapa said the university "has just yet touched its potential." Murapa told a gathering in his honor that the "greater horizon is out there," and the university community must pull together with one mind and in one direction to reach it.

"Whoever named the university 'Africa,' for whatever reason they had, has given this university a challenge," he said. "... It is a dream the size of the continent called Africa, and it must be realized for the continent."

Diplomats, business people, church and community leaders, alumni and students came together in a Nov. 30 farewell extravaganza to honor Murapa and his leadership of the pan-African school.

Last October, Murapa decided to step down as vice chancellor of the university, ending nearly 10 years at the helm. The Africa University Board of Directors appointed Fanuel Tagwira, dean of agriculture and natural resources, as the school's interim leader, effective Dec. 1.

"I will try my best, but I know that you are all going to work with me to make sure that this work is done well and that the institution continues to run smoothly as it has been doing under the wise leadership of Professor Murapa," Tagwira said.

During the Nov. 30 ceremony in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn, Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo told the crowd of more than 200 people that "Murapa makes us proud."

Murapa emphasized that he didn't lead the university alone.

"If I have done anything in the last 10 years to contribute to the growth of Africa University, one thing is clear: It was not done by one person. It is a collective role that we have all played together," Murapa said.

Africa University had only been in existence for six years when Murapa took over day-to-day leadership from the founding vice chancellor, John W. Z. Kurewa, in 1998. However, his involvement with the institution dated back to its inception. Before joining Africa University as vice chancellor, Murapa led the international planning committee that oversaw the development and launch of the Faculty of Management & Administration.

Under Murapa's leadership, demographic diversity among the students has increased along with the enrollment, despite challenges related to the increasing cost of private higher education in Africa.

In particular, Murapa has encouraged faculty and students to work at the community level on efforts to solve problems, improve quality of life and bring about sustainable development.

Changing Africa
Ntambo, the school's chancellor and chairman of the board of directors, said Murapa made Africans proud. "We are so proud of you for your commitment and for your love; so proud of you for your vision; so proud of your commitment to make a difference among many Africans."

While many Africans left the continent to be educated in Europe or the United States and never came back, Murapa was different, he said. "This man came back to change Africa for tomorrow."

Throughout the program, messages from a variety of people were read, the Africa University Choir sang, and gifts were presented.

Speaking for the Africa University Alumni Association, Cyndrella Musodza told the gathering that her matriculation at Africa University was one of the greatest educational experiences of her life. Murapa, she said, "always went out of his way to assist his students in every way he could." He surrounded himself with staff and lecturers who "provided a good dose of the word of God for anyone who had a willing heart to receive it," she said.

One of Murapa's legacies is the connections the university has made across the world, said Isdore Fungai, a member of the faculty of management and administration. "He has left Africa University with a lot of contacts, and as a networker we will not miss him because network means there is no distance."

Humble beginnings
In 1974 Bishop Felton May stood on the hilltop on the grounds Hilltop United Methodist Church and wondered as he looked down onto Sakubva, the Mutare suburb where Murapa was born, if any good thing could emerge from that place. He described it as being a "mangled housing project of shacks and shanties and some sturdy houses of residences."

May, a member of the university's board of directors, told Murapa that God "made you and gave you sufficient wisdom and power and courage to move from that spot physically, but never emotionally, and to share the gifts that you have been so richly blessed with with the world." May is the interim top executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

Caroline Njuki, a member of the board of directors, told United Methodist News Service later that from humble beginnings Murapa rose through the ranks to rub shoulders with top leaders, "without forgetting were he came from and who he is. He leaves a lasting legacy on Africa University."

Washington Mbizvo, Zimbabwe's minister of tertiary education, called Africa University a "unique" multicultural institution that is guided by Christian values. He told Murapa that the "fact that you have been able to steer the ship in the last 10 years is paramount."

Murapa began his academic career at Cornell University as an associate professor and taught in the areas of political science, African studies and public administration for more than a decade. He returned to serve at the University of Zimbabwe in 1979, holding such posts as head of the Department of Political and Administrative studies and dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences between 1979 and 1988.

During a brief stint with the Southern Africa Development Community, based in Swaziland, he served as the senior adviser on the establishment of the SADC portfolio on Human Resources Development.

In 1988, Murapa left academia to set up the first field office of a joint United Nations, World Bank/Economic Development Institute and ILO program to strengthen public sector training management training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. Before becoming vice chancellor of Africa University, Murapa served as an inter-regional adviser on Governance, Finance and Public Administration with the U.N. Department of Development Support and Management Services. His work covered many African countries and Eastern Europe, including Bosnia.

Throughout his career, he has published extensively and helped to found several professional bodies, including the African Association of Political Science; the Society for International Development-Zimbabwe Chapter; and the African Association of Public Administration and Management.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Africa University acts to keep staff in face of weak economy


Bishop Marcus Matthews (left) and Fanuel Tagwira participate in the Africa University Board of Directors' meeting. Matthews is vice chairperson of the board, and Tagwira is the school's new interim vice chancellor. UMNS photos by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - Africa University officials are taking steps to keep teachers and other staff at a time when many professionals are leaving Zimbabwe because of the country's struggling economy.

The Africa University Board of Directors approved a policy for staff retention during its Nov. 28-Dec. 1 meeting. The policy is aimed at keeping professional and skilled staff.

In the past three years, nearly 20 experienced staffers have left Africa University for jobs outside the country. The school has a faculty and staff of 250 people, serving nearly 1,400 students from around the continent.

News media have reported that some 25,000 teachers of primary, secondary and higher education have left Zimbabwe for greener pastures.

The devaluation of the Zimbabwean dollar, shortages of commodities and continuous power outages and water shortages are contributing to the exodus of staff across the country. The official hyperinflation rate is 8,000 percent, and news media report the current inflation of food and fuel at 14,841 percent.

"The combined impact of these and other related factors has made it extremely difficult for the university to recruit and retain critical professional staff," said Zimbabwe Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, chairman of the finance committee.

Former vice chancellor Rudukzo Murapa cited experts as saying the best coping strategies are those that address working conditions and include "an incentive and motivation system" as the most effective way to pay staff. "They maintain that attractive salaries and better working conditions are the key to retaining skilled professionals in their home countries."

Africa University has received support from numerous foundations and agencies. However, compensation of staff and staff career development are critical issues that need solutions, Murapa said.

The retention policy approved by the board:

• Provides for a housing and vehicle scheme, similar to what state universities have already implemented for their staff.


• Implements a retention allowance in convertible currency for eligible staff.


• Provides two levels of sabbatical leave.


• Offers money for research for individuals who excel in their work.
  

Time of transition
During the meeting, the board appointed a new interim vice chancellor to take the United Methodist-related university through a period of transition following Murapa's decision to step down after almost 10 years. Fanuel Tagwira, dean of agriculture and natural resources, took over Dec. 1 as interim leader.

"We are in a critical time of transition in the life and work of Africa University," said the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, in his report to the board about the mission and ministry of Africa University.

"Times of intensive transition are both a blessing and a burden. They offer time to anticipate and plan for new beginnings, a fresh start on a journey that continuously unfolds new possibilities and challenges. They also afford us an opportunity, retrospectively, to take stock of the big picture," he said.

Del Pino, the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, told the university board that it must fulfill its governance and policy-making role by:

• Minimizing draw-downs of its reserves and holding forth the university as a tuition-fee-driven institution rather than one that's apportionment-driven.


• Bringing the fees and tuition for international students more in line with those for Zimbabwean students.


• Maintaining a U.S.$2 million reserve.


• Helping management develop a plan for at least a 60-40 ratio of enrollment of international and Zimbabwean students to be a truly pan-African school.


• Developing a comprehensive building maintenance plan.


• Improving quality of life for students, including living environment, food service, nutrition, dormitory life and student support services.


• Maintaining quality faculty and staff.


• Initiating new programs only when human and financial resources are available and sustainable.


• "While support for Africa University by the U.S.-based part of our church is indeed prominent, it cannot be assumed that continuation of the apportionment is not being strongly challenged," Del Pino said.
  
  In other action, the board:
  


• Adopted a recommendation that an interim dean of students be appointed within 30 days, and that the interim dean report to the board at its March 25-28 meeting on the 10 most urgent priorities for student welfare.


• Approved a master's degree in intellectual property studies in the Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance, in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization, an agency of the United Nations.


• Adopted a developing disaster management and recovery plan for the university.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Africa University names interim leader

Rukudzo Murapa, Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo and James Salley congratulate Fanuel Tagwira (second from right) on his election as interim vice chancellor at Africa University. A UMNS photo by Linda Green.

By Linda Green*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) - The directors of United Methodist-related Africa University have appointed the dean of agriculture and natural resources as interim leader of the pan-African school.

Fanuel Tagwira, 50, took the reins Dec. 1 to carry the university through a period of transition following Rukudzo Murapa's October decision to step down after almost 10 years as vice chancellor.

"I am humbly honored by the responsibility that has been put on me," Tagwira said at a university gathering that day. His announcement was met with a standing ovation and ululation.
"I take courage in knowing that God is on our side," Tagwira said. "I feel great to serve this institution because it has brought me up, it has made me who I am, and I want to give back to the institution by serving it in a higher capacity."

A Zimbabwe native, Tagwira joined the university in 1992 as the first full-time member of the academic staff in agriculture. He has made contributions to teaching, research and community outreach efforts, as well as to the overall development of the school. He was awarded the Best Researcher prize during Africa University's 10th anniversary celebrations in 2002.

Never thinking that his tenure at the university would span 15 years, Tagwira said he is "delighted to be given this responsibility of being the interim vice chancellor. I will try my best, but I know that you are all going to work with me to make sure that this work is done well and that the institution continues to run smoothly as it has been doing under the wise leadership of Professor Murapa."

Zimbabwe's hyperinflation poses myriad challenges for the university, and Tagwira called on his colleagues to work with him to overcome them.

"I am passionate about this university, having grown so much in and with it," he said. "I caught the vision and passion that drive Africa University ... so it is a privilege to be entrusted with its leadership."

Search gets under way
A search committee, led by board chairman and university chancellor Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo, has been appointed to find a new vice chancellor. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are expected to be involved in the selection process. The vice chairwoman of the committee is Johnnetta Cole, retired president of United Methodist-related Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, N.C.

"From its inception, Africa University has been blessed with energetic, visionary and committed leadership at all levels, and in this time of transition, the board has found in Professor Tagwira someone of true commitment," said Ntambo, episcopal leader of the church's North Katanga Area in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"He is a dynamic, accomplished and principled administrator and scientist with a very intimate knowledge of the university and an incredible passion for its development and for the ongoing transformation of the African continent," he said.

With the appointment, the board has reaffirmed its commitment to enable the university to pursue a vision of excellence as the anchor institution of The United Methodist Church's mission in higher education in Africa, according to the Rev. Jerome King Del Pino, top staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.

"I am confident that Professor Tagwira will give collaborative and accountable leadership during this time of transition that will enable students, staff and faculty to achieve a greater level of excellence in accomplishing the primary mission of the university: to educate transformative leaders for church and society in Africa and throughout the world, thereby fulfilling the mandate of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church," Del Pino said.

Zimbabwe Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa, chairman of the board's finance committee, said, "There is no doubt that (Tagwira) will lead the university well, taking up what has been entrusted to him and giving priority to the welfare of students and staff, while pursuing excellence at every level."

Setting goals
In his new role, Tagwira will work closely with James Salley, the university's associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement. Salley's involvement with Africa University dates back to 1987, when he served on the site-selection committee that chose Mutare as the school's home.

"It is my honor to serve the institution, and I frankly feel like it is my calling," Salley said. During the transition, he is taking on an expanded portfolio, which includes overseeing the university's church and external/international relations functions.

"Change is exciting," Salley said. "We have a responsibility to build from the rich foundation that has already been laid here at Africa University."

He and Tagwira will use a team approach, he said. "We will do the kind of things that will lay foundations and then turn them over."

They have already identified student and staff welfare, infrastructure maintenance, and overall academic and physical capacity limitations as key concerns.

Tagwira has pledged to pursue collective decision-making processes that allow students, faculty and staff to feel fully vested in the institution. "There are many things that need to be done, and having been on the faculty since 1992, I know the issues that are critically important to the university community - especially those related to infrastructure, compensation and professional development," Tagwira said.

As Murapa turned the leadership over to Tagwira and Salley on Dec. 1, he told the Africa University community that his 10 years at the helm have been "perhaps the greatest honor in my life." Speaking to board members, faculty, staff and students, he said that regardless of the capacity in which one serves Africa University, "it becomes indelible in you. It does not, it will not, it shall not leave you, nor shall you ever leave Africa University because it will always be a part and parcel of you."

He told Tagwira and Salley that as they navigate the obstacles ahead to remember that satisfaction comes from challenges. "Challenges are the essence of satisfaction. They are the ones that call out of you the best that you have to give."

United Methodist-related Africa University is a private school that draws students from across the continent, regardless of race, ethnicity, social standing or religious affiliation.

It promotes inclusiveness and tolerance in it programs, and focuses on improving access to professional training for women and other socially and/or economically disadvantaged groups.

The school has nearly 1,400 students in its programs, which cover the fields of agriculture, business and public administration, education, health sciences, the humanities and social sciences, peace, leadership and governance, and theology.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Andra Stevens, director of Africa University's office of information and public affairs, contributed to this story.

Ministry gives hope to AIDS orphans in Africa

A UMNS Report

By Chuck Long*

A Kenyan orphan cares for chickens at Giving Hope, a United Methodist mission that teaches AIDS orphans the skills needed to provide for their future. UMNS photos courtesy of ZOE Ministry.

Working diligently in a small vegetable garden in rural Kenya, 14-year-old Alex wears an enormous smile as he harvests a handful of kale.

The smile masks a heartbreaking truth. Alex is one of more than 16 million Africans orphaned by the AIDS pandemic.

In the face of that cruel statistic, however, a United Methodist ministry called Giving Hope is doing just that - providing AIDS orphans with the seeds needed to sow their future. The program is part of the ZOE Ministry, designed to empower orphans to care for themselves and their families.

Giving Hope nurtures relationships that bring children out of isolation and into family environments of emotional support. Once ostracized and stigmatized, youngsters develop into leaders.

For Alex, a brown and white spotted goat grazing in a nearby pen may hold a key to his future. Alex and his younger brother are learning to care for the droopy-eared animal.

A goat provides milk and a source of income for the children.

"If the goat can give out like 4 liters of milk, (Alex) can be able to sell half of it and the other he can consume with the family," explains ZOE's Reegan Kaberia of Maua, Kenya. "One liter of goat milk costs about 50 shillings, and that will be a big boost for the family."

Like many of his peers in Kenya, Alex has been forced to grow up faster than his counterparts across the globe. While many teens spend countless hours playing videogames, Alex is showing off seedlings from his starter garden.

"He will sell some of the small plants and eventually the crop and keep some to feed his family," said Kaberia. "He will start saving for shoes, which he doesn't have any good shoes, and make sure he has something in his account so he can prepare for secondary school."

Asked what his future holds, Alex beams, then speaks through a translator: "He believes when he finishes school that he would like to be a pilot."

Emotional support
Epiphanie Mujawimana, who heads Giving Hope in Africa, says skills learned by the orphans are empowering. "Children themselves have a vision for their future, and they can take action to change their lives," she says as she watches a group working in a large garden.

In addition to developing income-generating skills, Giving Hope emphasizes instruction in discipleship or how to be a follower of Jesus Christ, HIV/AIDS awareness, health and hygiene, animal husbandry and cultivating crops.

"In every meeting, we make sure they don't feel like orphans or hopeless children," said Mujawimana. "We tell them they have a heavenly father that loves them and will provide everything they need. The Bible says each of us has to work so we can survive on our work."

Giving Hope encourages cooperative relationships among children to help bring them out of isolation.

"When they gather together as a group, they can initiate a common project, they can plant potatoes or raise chicken, and once they sell it, they can use it to support one who is in need," Mujawimana said.

'Life-changing ministry'
ZOE's Giving Hope launched in Rwanda and Kenya in early 2007, and the ministry will reach more than 3,000 in the two east Africa countries by the beginning of 2008. The ministry is designed to help the orphans and their families achieve financial independence within three years.

The Rev. Greg Jenks, founder of the ZOE Ministry, calls Giving Hope "truly a life-changing ministry" and praises Mujawimana for shepherding the program. Jenks' ministry already has a big impact in parts of Zimbabwe, where it began as the Zimbabwe Orphans Endeavor.

Changing lives isn't something Mujawimana takes lightly. She understands what's at stake.

"It's been incredible to see the life change taking place among these kids who now have animals to raise, crops to tend to, and income-generating projects," Mujawimana said. "And to know that in two to three years they're not going to need us anymore because they've learned to take care of themselves. That's what giving hope is all about."

Details are available at http://www.zoeministry.org/ or by calling (919) 550-0255. Donations to the ZOE Ministry can be made through the United Methodist Advance for Christ giving program at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/advance/advance-projects/index.cfm. Giving Hope is Advance Project #982023.

*Long is a freelance producer and writer in Nashville, Tenn. This report was compiled with information provided by the Rev. Greg Jenks, founder of ZOE Ministry.