What a Day For Orphans!
- Written by: Gary Howes
Above: Geraldine Roche-ZDDT hoyeeeee! shouts little Thebi, during the Drama festival awards.
“Geraldine Roche hoyeee !.... Geraldine Roche hoyeee.....!” shouted everyone on Friday as ZDDT Team of Bev Wood and Chrispen Tabvura arrived at the venue of the long awaited event in Pelandaba.
The Geraldine Roche Drama Festival has now become an annual programme that has now been placed firmly on Bulawayo community calendar, just as if it is a declared public holiday.
“We are gathered here to celebrate and enjoy the day all orphans will live to recognise in their entire lives, as this is more like celebrating our graduation into the world of adventure,” said Tsitsi Mlambo of Mabutweni.
“This is our day, the day I will live to remember in my life time because I received a certificate, meaning the next certificate will have the Geraldine Roche inspiration of hope,” said another orphan Fikile.
“Geraldine Roche and ZDDT have, from today, moulded a new Patricia Tshabalala because, from their drama and arts initiatives, orphans have opened up on their abuse which was long locked in their hearts as a secret. Several orphans were haunted until the ZDDT-Geraldine Roche dramas. I have learnt that children can express their anguish via drama. Once again, thank you ZDDT, thank you Geraldine Roche, God bless you and I hope one day you will come to Zimbabwe to receive our gesture in person as ZDDT will be witnessing,” said Patricia Tshabalala of Vulindlela Orphanage Centre in Mpopoma.
Councillor Lot Siziba, whose constituency was the venue of the competitions, was filled with joy and only said, “ZDDT and Geraldine Roche please receive my blessings, which I prayed for more than three months. God bless you and your entire team of Angela, Simon Spooner and Chrispen your newsman.”
This year’s Drama festival was the talk of the country, as some of the participants travelled from the nearby provinces to witness the colourful Geraldine Roche Arts festival, which was supervised by ZDDT and facilitated by Amazing Stars Arts Academy.