Fr Norbert Menezes SJ, a scholar from India and currently touring Jesuit schools in Zimbabwe, has expressed satisfaction with the way the Jesuit Province in Zimbabwe is running its education institutions.
Fr Norbert is set to facilitate the Annual Jesuit School Heads Colloquium to be hosted in by Zambia in Siavonga from the 18th to the 22nd of June 2014.He is optimistic to see a uniform Jesuit legacy from both countries despite operating on different continents.
Fr Norbert has been in Zimbabwe for a week and toured some of the Jesuit schools that include Visitation Makumbi, St Ignatius Chishawasha and St Peters Mbare. Fr. Norbert is pleased to see young people who have a passion for education and applauded the work being done by the teachers and other supporting staff at these institutions.
“I’m eager to understand the Jesuit legacy of education, that is, what makes a Jesuit school Jesuit and to see participants sharing the Zimbabwean and the Zambian legacy in as far as Jesuit education is concerned. We will be searching together how the legacy works in our provinces and I, myself would like to understand Jesuit education in the African contest.” said Fr Menezes.
While in the country, he took time to visit some of the poor communities in Harare such as Mbare and Epworth and acknowledged the work the Jesuits are doing in poor communities particularly Mbare and advised that they should continue with such good works despite facing a lot of drawbacks.
A Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics teacher by profession, Fr Norbert who has written 11 academic books, four of them being in his vernacular language said he is much interested in providing better teaching skills to those in the field. He added that he has enjoyed his stay in the country and is happy to facilitate this coming annual colloquium.