When Good Deeds Earn a Name

By Mpundu Valerie

Some titles are given. Others are earned.

At Green Diamond School in Stoneridge, Ward 12, the community recently chose to do both by honouring Hon. Andrew Makahamadze with something more lasting than a certificate a classroom bearing his name. But the recognition was not simply about a name on a door.

It was about showing up. And for Makahamadze, the honour appears to have marked the beginning of more work rather than the end of it. In the days after the classroom was named in his honour, he returned to the school and began upgrading the facility.

New windows were installed to improve lighting and ventilation. The classroom was tiled and painted, while walling and a new door were added to improve its appearance and security. The room was also fully electrified, meaning learners can potentially use it beyond daylight hours. A whiteboard is expected to be delivered next, followed by computers for Form 4 learners.

For Green Diamond School Director Simeon Manzanga, the transformation was both unexpected and deeply appreciated. “It was such a humbling experience to come back and find a whole classroom upgraded the painting, tiling, walling, electricity, and even a door,” Manzanga said. “This isn’t something we take lightly, and we appreciate everything you have done for us. Our learners are happy.”

He appealed to Makahamadze to continue supporting other communities. “May you continue with the work, not only for us, but for others too. May the Almighty continue blessing you,” he said.

From recognition to action

The story of Makahamadze's involvement with the school is part of a wider pattern of community interventions attributed to him. In Chihota, at Mutero Primary School, the community reportedly experienced the same approach after strong winds damaged the school's roof. Rather than simply offering words of encouragement, Makahamadze is said to have arranged for builders to undertake repairs and replace the damaged roof.

For him, the interventions are less about recognition than giving back to communities. “You do good, you do for you. If you do bad, the same energy comes back,” Makahamadze said. “This is just giving back.” That philosophy is now attracting attention as the Gunyana Prestigious Awards approach, with conversations in Ward 12 increasingly focusing on community contribution and tangible impact.

The question being asked is no longer simply who is popular or well known, but who is making a measurable difference in people's lives. For parents and learners, however, the value of such interventions is practical. An electrified classroom can give learners an opportunity to study after dark. A repaired roof can keep lessons going when heavy rains arrive.

A secure door and improved windows can create a more conducive learning environment. And computers can expose learners to skills and opportunities that extend beyond their immediate community. For Form 4 learners preparing for their examinations, access to technology could be particularly important as digital skills increasingly become part of education and employment.

A different kind of legacy

The classroom at Green Diamond School may ultimately become more than a room carrying the name of a local figure. It can become a physical reminder of what community investment can achieve when recognition is followed by action. There is also a broader lesson in the approach. Schools in many communities face infrastructure challenges that cannot always be addressed through government resources alone. Community leaders, businesses, former pupils and other stakeholders can play an important role in complementing those efforts.

The challenge is ensuring that such support produces lasting benefits rather than one-off gestures. At Green Diamond, the work continues. The classroom has been painted and tiled. It has electricity, windows, a new door, and improved walls. A whiteboard is on the way, with computers expected to follow.

For the learners who will eventually sit inside that classroom, the significance may have little to do with the name above the door. It will be about what they can do inside it. Perhaps that is the most meaningful measure of a community contribution not the size of the plaque, but the opportunities created behind it.

Makahamadze may have been given a title for the classroom. But in Ward 12, the community appears to be measuring his legacy in something more tangible: the places he leaves better than he found them. Because when good deeds earn a title, the real challenge is to make that title a standard.

 Andrew Makahamadze