By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
Janet Manyowa is asking Zimbabweans to pack more than expectation for A Night of Thanksgiving 2027 as part of The School Bell initiative.
The gospel star has unveiled The School Bell, a back-to-school outreach initiative tied to ANOT 2027 — and it is asking attendees to bring donations alongside their worship.
The initiative was announced ahead of what will be a milestone edition of ANOT: for the first time in its history, the event will run across two days, on 1 and 2 January 2027, at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).
What The School Bell is asking for
The School Bell is collecting two categories of donations for children in communities ahead of the new school year:
School shoes — new or pre-loved, but clean, wearable formal and sports shoes
Stationery — new exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, math sets and crayons
Donations are to be brought directly to ANOT 7 at HICC on 1 and 2 January 2027.
The initiative is described as a way of giving children “a stronger start to the new school year.”
From clean-up to school shoes
This is not Manyowa‘s first outreach effort. Last year, the ANOT outreach took the form of a clean-up campaign in Harare’s central business district — a mobilisation of her audience around civic responsibility rather than material donation.
The School Bell represents a shift in approach: from cleaning shared public spaces to directly equipping individual children.
It is a more targeted intervention, and it asks more of attendees — not just their presence, but their contribution.
Why the timing matters
The School Bell lands in a period when many Zimbabwean households face acute pressure around school costs. Uniforms, shoes and stationery are recurring expenses that push families into difficult decisions at the start of every academic year.
By attaching the collection to ANOT — one of the largest gatherings on Zimbabwe’s gospel calendar — Manyowa is converting an audience of thousands into a distribution network. The logistics are simple: bring the donation to the event, and the outreach handles the rest.
A two-day ANOT for the first time
The outreach also arrives alongside a significant expansion of ANOT itself.
ANOT has historically been a single-night event. The 2027 edition will run across two days — a structural change that reflects the gathering’s growth and gives the outreach initiative a wider window for collection.
For Manyowa‘s fans, the two-day format is the headline. For the communities The School Bell intends to reach, it is the mechanism.
How to get involved
What to bring: New or pre-loved clean, wearable formal and sports shoes; new exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, math sets, crayons
Where to bring it: ANOT 7, Harare International Conference Centre
When: 1 and 2 January 2027
Enquiries: admin@janetmanyowamusic.com or 0777537746
What comes next
With just under three months until ANOT 2027, The School Bell is now the focal point of the event’s build-up.
Expect further announcements on performers, programme and logistics — and, if last year’s clean-up campaign is any indication, further outreach components still to be revealed.
For now, the message is simple: come for the thanksgiving, bring shoes and stationery, and leave having given a child a stronger start to the school year.
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