It was not like a Saturday when the pupils are supposed to be home. They were not, as they left everything their weekend entails to see the South African songstress Zahara, who had just touched down at Chileka Airport in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre.
Their singing Loliwe, that train-pushing hit song which drew Zahara, real name Bulelwa Mtutukana from the Phumlani Settlement in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to stardom, welcomed her as she arrived for a cause: to inspire the young ones, and give them hope.
“I went to school with no shoes on my soles. But then, that was no reason for me not to follow my destiny and achieve my goals,” said Zahara, who grabbed eight awards at the 2011 South African Music Awards, including best female artist and album of the year.
Hers were not just words, as she dropped a one-year The Nation subscription under Nation Publications Limited’s Adopt a School Campaign.
Then, she told the young girls she was presenting 30 guitars to the school and her DVD.
“It’s under my Hoping Guitar project, where guitars are given to primary school girls in all 53 African countries. In August, I release my next album and in that lucky month, my DVD will also be out. That will be available in the school library,” said the afrosoul artist.
As she left the school, her words of hope were resonant: “Listen to others. Respect elders and no matter how long it will take us to reach our destiny, we must keep focus. Don’t play with boys, because boys will be boys and girls will remain girls.”
Crowning it, Zahara did a rendition of the song Destiny, driving the point home.
