By Staff Reporter
It was a day of colour, song and spirited community action last Saturday in Hatfield, where veteran gospel musician and passionate environmentalist Pax Gomo transformed music and dance into a rallying cry for Zimbabwe’s wetlands and fragile ecosystems.
Partnering with Mashmar College, Gomo hosted the vibrant Environment and Culture Carnival — an event that drew together schoolchildren, teachers, parents and the wider Hatfield community, all united by a shared mission: to protect the environment for generations to come.
The day began with a lively march that wound its way from Hatfield Clinic to Goshen. Schoolchildren, some barely tall enough to hold their placards high, walked alongside parents and residents, carrying messages calling for wetland preservation, an end to littering, and greater climate responsibility.
For Gomo, whose career has long blended gospel music with environmental advocacy, it was a vision come true: communities inspired through music and culture to take ownership of their environment.
Throughout the day, the carnival pulsed with life. Learners recited poetry and performed drama pieces. Bands struck up lively tunes. Gymnasts tumbled and flipped under the warm July sun, while cultural groups reminded the audience — through laughter and skits — that issues like littering, bullying and poor parenting ultimately tie back to how we care for each other and our surroundings.
For Gomo, the highlight was sharing the stage with the very young voices he hopes will carry his message far beyond Hatfield. Learners from Seke High 1, performing with their school band under his guidance, joined him in live renditions of his latest singles, Save Our Wetlands and Together We Can. Both songs were produced with Mashmar College and released alongside a new music video that places children at the heart of Zimbabwe’s green message.
“Yes, I’m working with Mashmar College. We did a collaboration on a song called Save Our Wetlands,” Gomo said, guitar in hand and children at his side. “The idea is simple: we owe the environment to our children. So it’s important to work with them, to pass this message through song, to let them carry it forward in ways that make sense to them. Adults can preach about protecting the environment all day, but if children sing it to each other, it sticks.”
The carnival drew energy from many corners of Harare. The Young Brothers Acrobatics and Fitness Club from Dzivarasekwa left the crowd breathless with their daring flips and well-drilled stunts, while the Gertrude Drummies from Highfield kept the spirit high with crisp drumming and precision marching. Prophet B.T. Chikomo, one of the day’s special guests, praised the initiative as a step towards nurturing good citizens.
“This is an important programme for our nation,” he said. “When our youths take part in environmental activities, we are planting good seeds for conservation and care. These boys are sending a clear message about discipline, about saying no to drugs and substance abuse — and today, about protecting what belongs to us all.”
On stage, cultural troupe Mashona Arts blended humour and serious messages in skits that touched on wetland destruction, waste, and the small everyday choices that shape communities for better or worse. Holding it all together was veteran MC and performer Nqobile Malinga, whose sharp wit and charisma ensured that no moment fell flat.
For Mashmar College, the carnival was about more than just entertainment. Its Director, Mr Lloyd Marange, described the collaboration with Gomo as a powerful tool to unite art, education and environmental responsibility.
“Working with Mr Pax Gomo is a blessing,” he said. “This partnership attracts audiences who care about the planet and reminds everyone that sustainability can be fun, artistic and deeply meaningful. It brings communities, artists and environmental organisations together and shows that even art can inspire people to choose sustainable ways of living.”
The carnival’s message resonates far beyond Hatfield. It echoes Zimbabwe’s national commitment to protect wetlands and ecosystems — a commitment the country will showcase on the global stage as it hosts the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls later this month.
As the day drew to a close, Pax Gomo stood before a cheering crowd, his guitar slung across his shoulder, surrounded by young voices repeating his chorus: Save Our Wetlands.
In that moment, it was clear that for Gomo, the seeds of a greener Zimbabwe are best planted not in the halls of power alone, but in schoolyards and open spaces — carried forward by the voices of the next generation, singing for the earth, their future, and each other.
