hjmendelsohn

Life in context - One week in Zimbabwe

Hilton — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 10:26:00 GMT

Often in life we are faced with what we consider insurmountable challenges. Days where the mountains we have to climb seem too steep, we walk through the fire. As we as Zimbabweans we have often been faced with the stark decision to stay where we and...(read more)

Switching allegiance

Hilton — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:47:00 GMT

Brian Dzingai

It's been a crazy few days for, the strange state of affairs in Zimbabwe continues, millions upon millions are being given to organisations and individuals that have patently failed while the average man or woman is struggling to hold on to their jobs let alone get a raise. The story that has stuck with me is that of Zimbabwe's top athlete Brian Dzingai has pledged his allegiance to Bahrain (I honestly had to open a map to see where in the Middle East to find its exact location. We keep on though with a look of incredulity on our faces and a despairing shrug. We can only do what we do and do it well.

It is impossible for me not to compare him to Kirsty Coventry. In a time when our country is literally on its knees and millions of kids are looking for some inspiration these two contrasting stories unfold. Coventry has with a simple dignity held the Zimbabwean flag aloft despite the gross violation of the rights of people who share the same colour of skin she does in Zimbabwe. Dzingai is now or soon to be a Bahamian (sic). Right know I identify more with Coventry and feel the same sense of pride when I see a picture of her that I do when I see the famous picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the Mexico Olympics.

Kirsty Coventry

I get Tendai Mtawarira, Brian Mujati and Tonderai Chavhanga playing for the Springboks, our own national team is not in any position to accommodate their special talents. Rugby is a team sport and the guys are in many ways flying the flag for Zim in the green and gold. I don't get why a guy who baring the freakish Husain Bolt had already made it to the top of his sport and had done his country proud decides to switch allegiance, perhaps someone can explain it to me.

Tendai "The Beast" Mtawarira

I have always looked on in with dismay as African athletes have switched countries to represent countries with all the money in the world but seemingly without the ability to produce top athletes. It seems to me to be the business of buying and selling souls. There is no doubt in my mind that the mismanagement that seems to abound in organised sport in Africa is partly to blame but there is something to be said about the strength of character of our people.

George Weah, former FIFA World Player of the year paid out millions of his own money to prop up the national team of Liberia during some of the darkest times in his country. He captained his national team with a great sense of dignity and honour during this time, paying for the privilege. Today hardly a tournament goes by without some African country being involved in a row over bonus payments. This in a time where most of these players earn hundreds of thousands of pounds playing in the top leagues in the world. On the one hand they are right to demand that corrupt officials stick to the agreements they have made with the players but on the other hand there is something utterly undignified about it all.

George Weah

As for Brian Dzingai, I am incredibly proud of your achievements as an Athlete and a Zimbabwean. I always will be the guy who whenever anyone shows me a picture of the Olympic 200m final who will point you out and proudly say, "that guy right there, is Zimbabwean!" I am however saddened by your decision not to represent your country anymore as I am sure there are thousands if not millions of other Zimbabweans. To the authorities in Bahrain who no doubt made the offer to Brian you should hang your heads in shame for there is no dignity or honour in what you have done.

I leave you with the words of Dr Martin Luther King, words that inspire me and I hope will inspire you

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"

Peace and Luv always!

Get to know us

Hilton — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:52:00 GMT

I guess at this point the first thing I should do is introduce myself. My name as you would have guessed is Hilton I was born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe the place I love the most on this planet. I currently live in the United Kingdom, have a job and do pretty much everything anyone like me would do.

Enough about me, more about this Blog. The intention is through this forum to give you some insight into my role with WEZIMBABWE and our vision for Zimbabwe. If you browse through the pages of our website you will find a whole lot of information about us, how we started and why we exist. I will be trying with this blog to provide a little bit more of a personal perspective.

I am going to press on with this by paraphrasing something I heard in a movie once. A guy who was on a first date said something like "Promise me that you will have a second date with me if I mess up this one" - The second chance scenario. I am asking you to check this blog out a second time if we mess up once. If you have been less than impressed by WEZIMBABWE in your first encounter with us give us a second chance. Most importantly I would like to ask you all that if your first impression of Zimbabwe has been negative give our country and our people, be they black, white, coloured, Asian, Shona, Ndebele, Kalanga, Manyika, native and immigrant alike, give us a second chance. Give us a third chance and a fourth. I am sure you will find most of us will do the same for you.

So to business, there are some exciting things developing for WEZIM. Sinead who rather bravely mans or perhaps womans our I have just spent a hectic 3 days in London dashing around from meeting to meeting trying to build up some momentum for the organisation. We have met with an incredible group of people who we believe partnering with is going to help us take some major steps forward. More details will be published soon but from bringing in a very accomplished design company to engaging professional event management and moving Zimfest to becoming more environmentally friendly things are looking up.

In Zimbabwe Taurai Buyanga who represents us there has been working flat out to get our Connect Cafe project off the ground and to identify Children’s centres we can work with to deliver on our long standing wish to operate day centres in every province in Zimbabwe.

The challenges are great but our faith is strong and we still continue to believe.

We look forward to your continued support and to you getting involved more with us.

Peace and Luv always

Hilton J Mendelsohn