Midlands state university media department Archives – Kakic Universe News & Updates

The Gweru Chronicles Part 2- Endorsement from a Minster, GIBF 2017- Making History

Kudakwashe Maxwell — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 01:11:24 +0000

The Gweru Chronicles Part 2, Endorsement from a Minster, fan approval and more!

Hello There! My Name is Kudakwashe and I am the founder and Current Executive Chief Technical Officer for KAKIC universe.

If you read the first part of this story then go ahead and carry on to the second part, if you haven’t, i highly recommend that you do, here’s the link to the first part of this story so you can catch up:

Part A- GIBF

Surely by now you must definitely be familiar with Mr Archibald Marwizi! The Man who played a crucial role in inviting me to the 29th Day of the One Hundred Days of learning Link here:

And also Initiated the move that got me to be a lecturer at 19 Years of Age, link to that article above

So you should definitely know him by now!

So Mr Marwizi decided to Host a book Festival together with his Associate, Mr Ignatius Musonza. The festival was to be called the Gweru International Book Festival- G.I.B.F.

Simply Put, it was to be a festival celebrating literal arts, something lik HIFA, but more on literature. The City of Gweru had never seen or experienced an Event of this kind and size, and many organisations rushed to be part of it, and you probably guessed it, Mr Marwizi Created space for me at GIBF 2017, as well!

For those of you who are not familiar with Gweru, its sort of a slow town, small, and you can literally memorise the faces of people and the places where they work because its that small in terms of size.

So GIBF was to be hosted right in the middle and attract everyone from the older to the younger generations, people of all races and kind to come celebration Zimbabwe’s digital Literacy.

Trust me when i say this! Mr Archibald Marwizi, is truly a brilliant man! The Function/show/festival was a resounding success! Schools poured in and a lot of stakeholders engaged and participated in the festival.

From Renowned authors and established brands to the new and upcoming brands like Kakic Universe, the 3 day festival was amazing!

To be honest with you, i was simply satisfied to be able to exhibit at such a function at such an early stage of my career, just having my logo be printed on the banner of the participating stakeholders was amazing! But little did i Know that God, had bigger plans for me!

What actually happened?

So basically you would purchase space and get to exhibit your work to the public. During the festival, the public would then tour all the stands and engage the exhibitors and their exhibitions.

WHO ATTENDED AND WHO PARTICIPATED?

A lot of big brands, a lot of authors and craftsmen, even social welfare organisations. The festival also had a stage and MSU sponsored Musical Equipment so there were many performances from many Local Gweru artists and celebrities.

At that time, the Minister of Education was Honourable Doctor Lazarus Dokora and he was invited to be the Guest of Honour to officially open the Gweru International Book Festival. The Mayor of Gweru was also present as well as many other important people.

Truly Speaking, The Festival was amazing! Mr Marwizi and Mr Musonza really did a great job in pulling off this funciton! For more on the GIBF 2017, check out their Facebook Page below:

https://www.facebook.com/gwerubookfest/

You can find more on the festival there in terms of content and pictures! Now lets continue with Kakic Universe’s story.

At this point i was lectuing at MSU and the Media Department was also exhibiting there. However, i was not exhibiting with them.
At that we had added a few more videos to our collection and so we were ready to exhibit our work and show the public, as well as gain some followers in the midlands Province!

Part B- Public Engagement- The Fans!

I was thrilled and delighted as my stand/space caught the attention of many and most of the School Children which is what i was aiming for. In most cases, School children would spend the whole day watching my videos, in most cases they would leave the stand only when chased away by other students who wanted a turn to also view the content!

All of this was just fantastic for me! I was on cloud 9, Those kids and their expressions made me feel like the coolest thing alive, which was something i really needed because i was still battling the negative comments i received from naysayers. So you can imagine how it feels like being told that you wont succeed because your career is not good enough and an industry doesnt exist for it then you meet these beautiful souls who abosulutely adore and love your work just the way it is,

Which Videos did we play?

We Played the following videos on our Stand:

We also played : Goal and the Kakic Universe Animation Reel.

Without a doubt, Jah Kaylite, was the most popular video, generating numerous requests for replays and the young kids singing” Mari Kunevanogeza”

And trust me with each request for a repeat, i felt proud,

I loved how my work was bringing Joy to the young souls of Zimbabwe, even the older Generation was captivated by Dancehall sensation, Jah Kaylite

As if the great feedback from the crowd was not enough, The MSU, media team interviewed me and Kakic Universe

PART C- Growing The Team

So up to this point, you might have noticed that the story was centered around me and only features Mr Marwizi but no one else, and thats because at the time there was no else but that changed at GIBF.

As part of the Organising team, i managed to meet Michelle Maphosa, Shamiso Chikarate and Anson Mashingaidze.

We worked together so well that i invited them to come work with us and they agreed forming the first ever KAKIC UNIVERSE SQUAD!

Part D - The Honourable Minister Arrives

As mentioned above, the Honourable Minister of Education at that time period, Honourable Miinister Doctor Lazarus Dokora was the Guest of Honour and was to officially open the Gweru International Book Festival.

The Minister Delivered a speech on the importance of recognising and celebrating Digital Literacy in the Country.

Afterwards he then started touring each stand exhibitor seeing what they had to offer.

It is then that it happened.

I got the pleasure to meet the minister and show him my work. When he found out that i was teaching at university level at 19 Years of age, he was greatly impressed and he endorsed me and Kakic Universe, and urged me to keep going forward as well as aiming higher!

This was just the icing on the cake! Within a short space of time, God had elevated me to a “lecturer” who was endorsed by a minister.

The Endorsement by the minister silenced most of the naysayers. Kakic Universe started gaining more support and appreciation. More people started appreciating the art and encouraging me to go forward. God Knew what he was doing and he was carefully putting the pieces together.

This enounter with the minister and the words of encouragement he gave me where a huge confidence boost.

GIBF was an awesome Experience for me! It helped me gain confidence in what i was doing and i am grateful for God’s Grace and what he has done for me.

Conclusion for the Gweru Chronicles

After this amazing experience i then turned down the opportunity to continue lecturing as i wanted to focus more on Building the Kakic Universe Team, the brand and also raising school fees. The Gweru Chronicles were an amazing time for me and helped me gain confidence in my career choice.

It was fun and amazing and i am forever grateful to God for his grace and favour over my life!

The Gweru Chronicles Part 1- The Youngest Lecturer In Zimbabwe- Making History!

Kudakwashe Maxwell — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 09:18:19 +0000

Zimbabwe's Youngest Lecturer, The Gweru Chronicles Part 1- Making History

Hello There! My Name is Kudakwashe Maxwell and i’ve decided to personally tell you the story of the greatest Milestone of my life and my career so far! Before i begin, i would like to declare that I am a Christian, i say this so you understand that I’ve only managed to achieve what i’ve achieved, only by the grace of God. I mean, where on earth have you ever heard of a high school graduate proceeding to teach University Students? I’ve never encountered such and it can only be by the Grace of God!

Now onto our story!

Part A - Backstory

Kakic Universe, is the name of the Company that i founded and started, and if you had not read up on it, check out this post, which explains Kakic Universe’s first ever public presentation at the 29th Day of the One Hundred Days of Learning. (This post provides some exposition and back story to the this story, so please read it if you have not), here’s the link:

By Now You should be familiar with Mr Archibald Marwizi. He was the facilitator for the 29th Day of the One Hundred Days of Learning where I presented KAKIC UNIVERSE, to the public for the first time. He provided and created the opportunity for me to attend and present KAKIC UNIVERSE at that event, and guess what, he plays a very key role in this story!

In Zimbabwe, we host “The Agricultural Show” which started out as a means for Farmers and those in the agricultural sector to showcase their produce and products to the public, but it has since evovled and opened its doors to other industries and sectors of Zimbabwe’s Economy. The Agricultural Show is hosted in the Capital City of Zimbabwe, Harare as well as Gweru and other towns.

Mr Marwizi, being a resident of the City of Gweru attended the 2017th Edition of The Agricultural Show, it is there that he came across the Midlands State University (MSU)’s Media Studies Tent, where they were showcasing films and productions made by their alumni and current students.

After watching a few of the productions, Mr Marwizi Realised that there were no Animated Productions or anything leaning towards that direction and he went on to ask the Gentlemen who were in charge of the Exhibition why it was so.

The gentlemen explained that the department was interested and wanted to explore that area but had no idea what direction to take and was urgently looking for someone to assist in that Direction. Mr Marwizi then informed the men that he could assist as he knew someone who would be able to help out, a meeting and date was then set up for the nearby future.

Part B - The Interview

Mr Marwizi got in touch with my parents and told them about the opportunity to work with MSU on some projects and we were excited and definitely up for it. For Starters, i had no clear path or strategy to take with this whole animation gig so literally anything would have been good enough, and Despite the Television Interview (link: read here) and the 29th Day at O.D.O.L (link: read here), I personally was still confused about the future and had many doubts. Also, i had been accepted to Vancouver Film School and needed to raise funds for School Fees, however my plans of Selling my First Professional Production, Untouchable, as a means to raise School fees didn’t work out as it turns out the economy and the TV stations in the country would not permit that to happen. However, i would not be slowed down by circumstances.

So when this new opportunity arose it wouldn’t hurt trying. I remember travelling to Gweru and praying about the interview, while also thinking about my future.

As if battling my own doubts and insecurities was not enough, i had to deal with nasty comments from other people who did not approve of Animation as a career path.

Who ever said, ” Sticks and Stones can hurt my bones but words can never hurt me” clearly never met people who had the harsh words that i came across, but thats another story for another time.

I arrived and was hosted by a Pastor from my Church, the Kwangwari’s. The following day, i met up with Mr Marwizi and we made our way to MSU for our interview.

I won’t lie to you, i was very nervous, shy and whatever little confidence i had i seemed to have left it by the gate.

We made our way inside and were directed to the Media and Social Studies faculty where were to meet Professor Mhiripiri, the Dean of the Media Department at that time. I remember just sitting beside Mr Marwizi and watched as the 2 adults spoke about the department and what it could be.

Professor Mhiripiri then mentioned that the Department had already interviewed someone and they were very happy with his work and were most likely going to give him the job. My insides collapsed as it was starting to seem as if i had already been denied without even getting the opportunity to try! However, Mr Marwizi was persistent and urged the Professor to at least look at the work. After many minutes of negotiating, Professor Mhiripiri finally agreed to see what i had to offer, I then played to him the Kakic Universe Animation reel version for that time, and at the 15 second mark he abruptly paused the video. Picked up his office desk phone and dialed a number.

These were his exact words,”Hello, stop the lesson, there is something i want you and the students to see!”.

He quickly got up and asked us to follow him and we did so. I was confused at that state but i didnt even know that i had passed the interview without even saying a single word!

We then followed Professor Mhiripiri to the Film Class of the year 2s . Professor Mhiripiri then explained to the class that the department wanted to introduce animation and wanted to find out if the class was up for it,

We then played the Kakic Universe Animation reel, Untouchable, Jah Kaylite and other videos. Afterwards a vote was called for to determine if the Class would take up animation. With a vote of over 85%, I was to start lecturing this class during their film lessons.

After the decision was made Mr Marwizi went on to finalise the details of this agreement with Professor Mhiripiri.

And just like that in the next weeks i had started work.

The class was to big for me, and also animation is something that takes a lot of time to master and teach, so virtually we would not be able to achieve much if i was to take on the full class. So we had to screen the group,

I started by introducing them to the Basics of animation, the principles of animation and keyframes.

Part C - Teaching

So this was a fun experience for me and also one that made me appreciate all the teacher’s i’ve ever had in my life! My class had the typical student stereotypes.

The Cool Kids, the passionate students, The A-star group, The students who try hard but just cant, the decent students and the students who joined the class because they thought it would have less work (also can be referred to as the students you wonder why they are even there in the first place!). But I loved my class and even continue to speak and chat with some of my students on Social Media to date.

We started with learning the basics and then went on to 3d work with the software , Blender, as well as had fun with, the 3d software Moviestorm, for weekly assignments.

We had fun! I actually learnt a lot from those guys and also learnt about University life. When we didn’t have a lesson sometimes we would chill in the studio and have all sorts of discussions. I enjoyed the time i spent with these guys!

Part D - First Ever News Article!

So one day i’m minding my own business when my phone started ringing due to an incoming call from an unknown number. I answered and a kind gentleman started asking me questions, he said he was a reporter and wanted to find out more information about me for a future report, and little did i know that that was the actual report! Next thing i know i’m sharing the front page with the Then President, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe!

I mean! For a simple High school graduate, this was amazing success! I remember the excitement and joy all this success brought to my life and family. My parents were beyond proud! My Older brother was showing off to his school and work mates and my little sister continued supporting me with love!

I personally think this was all God’s plan to boost my confidence and silence the naysayers! But the story does not stop here! This is merely Part 1, of the Gweru Chronicles, a time in my life where we made History,

Understand that in our field of operation, skill and results/output is very important, Organisations, schools and companies would rather higher someone with the skillset and can prove that they can actually produce the required task rather than someone who completed the course, has documentation but has no passion, has no skills and does not produce satisfactory results. And that is the basis of why what happened happened, that and also God’s Grace!

Before we go on to Part 2 of the story, i would like to give a shout out to the following people who supported me from the start! People who stood with me, when Kakic Universe was merely just an idea and animation as a career path sounded like a joke;

So here’s a list of shout outs to these special people!

GOD ALMIGHTY

My Parents- Mr And Mrs Maxwell; Mom and Dad, i’m grateful for your support, simply letting me follow and go in this direction that is not common ground for many. Also the support you give me is amazing!

My Siblings- Anesu and Lisa

My Best friend, lol, the title doesnt fit him anymore as we grew to be brothers,- Tinotenda Mawunganidze,

Mr Marwizi- Your input into my life and KAKIC is just breath taking! I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me!

Elder and Mrs Manyika- If you never took the chance to sponsor Untouchable, none of this would have happened!

Pastor and Mama Kwangwari- Thank you for hosting me, during my stay in Gweru!

Kudzi Vushe- My Guy! I can’t believe i still dont have a nickname for you!

Vicky Manyika- Fam, you know! 😁 I don’t have to say anything else😂 you already know!

Nkosie Mkhwananzi- Our Very First and loyal follower on social media as Kakic Universe!

Amanda Mudzingwa, Doctor Zed, (Takudzwa Zoraunye), Simbarashe Mekani

My first Crew (Untouchable Cast)- Peter Masvikeni, Elaine Manyika, Panashe Mutepfa, Tariro Munemo, Sean Paizee, Desire Katanganda, Michelle Mandaza, Ebenezer Maxwell, Thandeka, Kudakwasahe Mtuwa, Tawanda Zhanda, Tinotenda Maunganidze.

My MSU Animation class and the Media Department staff, – I enjoyed my time with you!

This list is for the people who supported me when others were not sure if Kakic Universe would amount to anything, people who believed in me and my vision before the huge success we experienced. I mean its easy to support a winning team, but true passion and care is shown and exhibited in the tough times. This is not the full list of course but these are just the people who stood out!

Now onto part 2! When God takes the story to even greater strides!

Read the next part here!: