25 lessons I have learnt in this journey of life

Anyone who’s close to me knows how much I love my birthday. 3 May is the most important day in my life. It’s never about the gifts , maybe a little bit about the attention but mostly it’s because I am grateful for the gift of life.

The 3rd of May 2017 marked my 24th birthday, and today I celebrate my 25th. The 24th year could have been the most challenging for me. Maybe it is because I am now an adult, I am slowly learning the ropes of life, and understanding that life is not one smooth road, there are obstacles.

I have learnt a lot from the ups and downs and I thought I could share my 25 lessons which I hope will also help me through life.

1. When faced with whatever situation, whether in happy or sad times, pray. God always has an answer.
2. When you think of calling, texting or visiting someone, do it. You might never get the chance.
3. Be true to yourself always, never fake who you are just to fit in.
4. You can never trust anyone completely, people change when they meet new people, especially when they fall in love.
5. When someone comes to you with their relationship problem, don’t be the one to tell them to leave, just be a shoulder to cry on.
6. Do not let anyone dictate how your life goes, you only live once, do what you only love.
7. Be a risk taker, don’t get too comfortable in the same position, explore new avenues.
8. Be nice to everyone you meet, you never know how much your smile can change someone’s life.
9. No matter how close you are to someone, if they offer you a job, sign a contract.
10. Don’t depend on one source of income, have something that complements your salary, even the smallest thing can make a difference.
11. Try new things. No matter how old you are, learn new things.
12. When you are going with your plans and someone thinks you should have taken another route, don’t mind them, tell them to take that route instead.
13. Whenever you feel like crying, cry your heart out, don’t be afraid of being called weak.
14. Do not compare your life to other people’s lives. You are completely different, we achieve different things at different points in life.
15. Whatever you have achieved to date, remember you can do better.
16. Don’t be hurt by friends who leave your life, they were never meant to be your friends.
17. Whenever there is gossip, be the first to walk away.
18. Any discussion that doesn’t benefit you is worthless, go read a book.
19. You can never please the whole world. Do what you can for others and what you can’t, leave.
20. The most important person in this life is you, take care of yourself.
21. Don’t be too expectant, expectations lead to disappointments.
22. Laugh as much as you can.
23. Surround yourself with people who make you happy.
24. Celebrate your birthday in any way you want to. Make as much noise as you can about it. It’s your day!

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TO MYSELF, I HOPE AND PRAY I WILL BECOME SOMEONE’S INSPIRATION IN THIS JOURNEY CALLED LIFE.

Job scam : I learnt the hard way

I never saw myself being a victim of job scams, well, I thought I was too clever. I would think, ‘how wouldn’t you know that this is a scam.’ Well, I proved myself wrong when a few days ago, I became a victim.

Like any other unemployed person who is in desperate need of a job, every few hours, I check the job sites, and try my luck by applying for as many jobs as possible, even those I know I am not qualified for.

One day, I saw a vacancy for a loan clerk trainee, there weren’t much specifications and I decided to try my luck, I told  myself since I would be a trainee, they would teach me whatever it was that needed to be done, so I applied.

Two weeks later, on this particular Saturday, while on my way to town, a day after our new President’s inauguration and just a few hours after I had been to an all night prayer, I received a text that read, ” ..you are wanted for work check your email and phone urgently..” (sic). My heart leapt with joy! Indeed it was the dawn of a new era and God had heard my prayers. I didn’t have data and I quickly looked for a Netone agent so I could buy my one fusion card. I quickly recharged my phone and checked my mail. It was the Loan Clerk Trainee job! I couldn’t believe it.

The email said management had decided to take me up for the job and it had some information about the company. It was a lot to comprehend. When I was reading the mail…. there was a part that read “Please urgently text your current address to 0737774614 and express your willingness to join us by sending your induction listing fee of 9 dollars. Please call or text 0778667353 talk to Eddie who will list your name as you have to complete an agreement form on email soon after sending your listing payment, after which we will send important employment documents to you by swift delivery services.” Ahh, at that point I began to doubt the authenticity of this job. But then I really needed the job so I waited for my friend and asked for his opinion, he said it was worth risking because it could be true.

I called them back and the Eddy guy instructed me to send $9 via ecocash immediately so that he could send the documents before 1pm so that I would receive them Monday morning and immediately start training. I sent the money, thereafter I received another email which had a form that I had to fill in and I had to choose the country I would like to work from after 3 months among, Dubai, Poland, Cyprus, Ukraine, Kenya, Canada and United Kingdom, lol! The other part of the email instructed me to scan back the application form after a payment of 27 dollars, that’s when I realized I had been duped.

This Eddy guy had told me the 9 dollars was refundable so the following day I called him and asked for my money back then he told me to phone later as he was in church. I phoned later and he told me to call again on a Monday when the ‘bosses’ would be around. Monday came, and I called again and he gave me another number. I then received an email which had 69 other people who had been copied instructed to call for a refund. I wasn’t the only victim.

Thank God for One fusion! I called the number and spoke to a man whom I explained to I was no longer interested and I couldn’t pay the 27 dollars, I didn’t have that kind of money. He then seemed to be sympathetic and he offered to pay 24 dollars for me and begged me to send just 3 dollars so that I could continue with the program, I told him I was no longer interested and he told me he would call again. Ladies and gentlemen, up to now he hasn’t called.

I know most of you will call me dumb, just as I thought about other people who had been scammed, but desperation is what causes this. Maybe it will end in this new era or it could actually get worse where people will believe all of a sudden jobs will be readily available because of the new government. Be warned fellow countrymen, there are people out there busy scheming new ways to get your money. My dad then told me, anyone who wants to employ you will ever ask for money from you, that’s a lesson I have learnt and thought of sharing with you.

Of the words I wanted to say….before tears got the best of me

When I enrolled for university 4 years ago, there are two things I really couldn’t wait for, my graduation ceremony and my graduation party. What came with graduating is what is generally important but for me, the day when people would gather around and congratulate me was the most important. No matter how hard things seemed to be, I fought harder so that I could get a graduation party. One important part of the party I wanted was the time when I would say my speech, talking about my journey and thanking all who helped me throughout the journey, but tears got the best of me and I only said a few words. But here goes what I always wanted to say.

 

Growing up, I have seen my parents try hard to make sure we have the best of education, not that I went to the best of schools, but I went to the best of schools they could manage and it is through that, that I became who I am.

I have grown to see the people around me excel and fail. For those who excelled, I learnt that anything is possible under the sun and you can achieve if you only put your heart in all that you  do. I must say though, that I learnt a lot more from the people who failed and made mistakes before me, for they tested the waters for me, they drowned and I made sure I didn’t take that path.

My Journey at Midlands State University

When I applied at Midlands State University (MSU), my name did not appear in the press when they published the names of people who had got places at the University, I was distraught, where would I go? UZ had offered me Bachdelor of Arts which I had no interest in whatsoever and MSU was my last option, with my first option being Psychology, Politics and public management as second option and lastly Media and society studies.

I kept my faith and I knew I would get a place, I was going to reapply as soon as the semester started. I had so much faith that I went to South Africa to shop for school, when I didn’t even have a place. My cousin brother, who’s a lecturer assured me I would get a place, but in Human resources. as it was the department that was still recruiting.

As soon as the University opened, I went to Gweru with my school fees carefully tucked in my jeans and I went straight to the Human resources department to ask if I could get a place. The attitude I got from the department, yohh, I will leave it here. But we were made to wait for five hours straight without any feedback.

My cousin later came, just a few minutes before lunch and asked what they had said and I told him they hadn’t attended to us since morning. He then asked if I would rather be interested in History, I refused, History was my worst subject at A level, and I wasn’t going to spend the next four years studying something I hated. He then asked if I would rather be interested in English and Communications and I just asked what I would do with that degree and he tried explaining but still, I wasn’t interested. Then he asked if I would rather be interested in Media, and I leaped with joy, I wanted Media.

We went to the Media and Society Studies department and we met the chairperson. There were vacancies in the department, provided I had Literature in English and at least an E in O level Mathematics. That was it! I got the place and I was about to start my journey.

Of course, the parents weren’t really excited about me studying Media, why not Human resources management, they asked. But I had made up my mind, I always wanted to be a celebrity, and this was my breakthrough, I thought (LOL). I packed my bags, with my mothers prayers and a long lecture from my dad, there began my journey.

Along the way, I met different people from different backgrounds, some whose characters I wondered how their minds really operated and for some I respected. But I learnt a lot from them. I just kept my parents’ words at heart, never to let them down.

2014 I started my internship at Jive Zimbabwe, as a communications intern. That was a fun filled internship, mostly because I regularly worked with Jah Prayzah and also because I worked under minimum supervision, my boss had so much faith in me. It was quite an experience at Jive Zimbabwe and from Benjamin Nyandoro, my boss, I learnt that there shouldn’t be a limit to our dreams, you should dream big. With the online music distribution phenomenon being introduced first by Jive Zimbabawe, I knew I was working for a visionary and I was, and still inspired to be one.

My final year was pretty hard, as can be expected of any final year, but with God’s grace and determination I pulled through. My dissertation was exciting, Online music distribution and piracy in Zimbabwe: A case of Jah Prayzah’s album Jerusarema on Jive Zimbabwe’s Online music store. I had the best supervisor, Dr. Ureke and compared to how others struggled with their dissertations, mine seemed to be a walk in the park. I worked hard and had a distinction for my dissertation.

25 November 2016, I graduated with an Honors degree in Media and Society Studies and I thank God. It wasn’t an easy road and as I sing Ebenezer, I reflect on what I went through over the past four years, and what my parents went through to get me where I am. I thank God.

I am grateful to my parents for doing all they could so I could complete my degree. The moral support was super and there was no way I could have let you down. Mum, you are a star and I salute you, all the tears and struggle you went through shall not go in vain. Daddy, I know I made you proud, and I am glad to have done so.

I want to thank my mums for helping in all they could for my welfare. I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, let you down. May you be blessed. And to all who chipped in along the way, helping out with anything they could, thank you, God will reward.

I could go on and on and on, but I can never thank you all enough. Thank you so much for the support and the advice. I didn’t like the lectures lol, but they did help.

I must say, I am proud of myself, I went to MSU and set my standards and goals. I achieved them all and here I am, counting my blessings. For each and every opportunity that has come my way, I am thankful. All praises be to God.

 

 

Tears of a native

 

My heart bleeds when i think of my nation, I don’t think any other nation has a miserable people as much as my nation does. One can only wish for the night to be longer as day brings nothing more than more problems

The breaking of dawn comes with it reminders of the bills that have to be paid, the outstanding salaries, where the next meal will come from and whether or not to switch on your phone. Switching it on would mean the people you owe money might call, one after the other, with all of them asking “How far?”.

Well, one might decide to switch it off for the greater part of the day but then the one who owes you money might call, asking whether to bring the cash or to deposit in the bank. If your phone is unavailable, they would rather deposit it in the bank before they are tempted to pay someone else whom they owe money. That would be a nightmare as no one wants their money deposited in the bank, you might get swollen legs waiting for a very small amount of money.

The usual sight of the CBD nowadays is queues  at every corner, not just queues, long queues where if you get to the bank just a few minutes after eight, you might get the number 300 if you are lucky or you don’t get a number at all and you would have to try another day. It is sad that you would have to keep trying for a very small amount of money.

It is no news that there’s a cash crisis in Zimbabwe. Probably it’s because companies are not depositing the cash because people are not buying from their stores because they do not have money, their money is in the banks and banks cannot give them money because there aren’t much deposits. I am not sure how it really works but the point is, the cash crisis has caused misery in the country.

Whoever thought that bosses of big companies would one day humble themselves in front of Ecocash agents. Some had crammed agent codes and they would just get to the agent and claim they had a cash out of a certain amount and they would get it. To some extent, it has taught people manners and reminded us that no matter one’s position, we will need each other at some point in time.

Nowadays, one has to humble themselves, greet the agent politely, ask how the weather is treating them, whether they are having problems at home or if they need a new pen. After a lengthy conversation they then ask if they have cash, and if they don’t, (which in many cases they don’t)  they ask for the agent’s phone number so as to call and confirm if there’s money or not.

Some of these agents have become wealthy as in every crisis, someone benefits. If they do have the cash and you have created a good relationship with them, they can keep the money for you, with the condition that they get a percentage of that money. One has no option but to comply, you need the money.

After the struggle with getting cash, one is not really keen to go home. With the little cash that one has, they have to balance between bus fare, food for the family as well as other expenses. One goes home with a heavy heart. Thinking of how they will balance work (if they are employed) the following day, standing in the long queue as well as get more money for survival.

As if the economic problems ain’t enough, there comes the water crisis. With the wells going dry in this heat, there’s massive saving of water. No water is thrown out. After bathing, washing the dishes or mopping the floor, everyone knows, the water is for flushing. There now is a reservoir of ‘dirty’ water. Everyone is forced to control their bowls because if they don’t, with the water crisis, one is forced to knock on neighbors gates (who are fortunate enough to have boreholes) frequently. I guess everyone’s prayer these days is not to have diarrhea.

No one wants to be a nuisance to the neighbours, eventually they will get tired of your begging. The City council has let us down. I bet the city fathers don’t even know the stress we all go through just to get a bucket of water as they are living in far much better conditions than all of us.

City council has no mercy for either the residents or the workers. There is poor service delivery in the residential areas with the garbage collectors coming once a month (twice if they feel like it) and one can imagine the flies by the gates when the people take their bins out every Thursday, and the risk of diseases that those flies bring. Now that there’s an outbreak of typhoid, I wonder if they will ‘remember’ the needs of the residents.

To some extent, one cannot blame the city council workers as most of them haven’t been paid in a while. The stress they handle each and every day is sad. Thinking of the school fees, the tummies to feed, and the accumulating bills. The situation is just bad.

Up until when will we remain a crying nation? We’ve gotten used to consoling each other everyday. Telling each other it shall be well when it’s been years now with no change, just worsening conditions. Even graduation ceremonies no longer hold as much value as they used to as nowadays one thinks of what value it brings in going to a graduation ceremony, pulling out resources and leaving parents and guardians in debt when you have no job.

I hope our generation can one day enjoy the fruits of our nation. I hope one day we will be able to bath freely, without thinking of saving dirty water for flushing. I hope being a graduate will one day be something one can be really proud of  and I hope life will get back to where one would never  have to fear of switching on their phone in fear of the loan sharks….One can only hope.

 

 

When the Protector becomes the Perpetrator

For the first time in four years, I was afraid to admit that I studied Media, because I didn’t know what would have happened if I had done so. Would they abduct me, would they lock me up in the cells or would they beat me up and leave me with permanent scars that would make me warn my fellow colleagues that the Africa Unity Square is the most dangerous place to be if you are a journalist.

This was the day that Sten Zvorwadza was brutally attacked for protesting, I was at the other end of town, just opposite the parliament, waiting for the protestors to get to the parliament. Upon arrival at the Africa Unity square, I could see that the police had already prepared themselves to attack the protestors once they got anywhere near the parliament. They were in three small groups with their water cannons and small cans (that I assumed had tear gas) attached to their trousers.

Naivety from Unemployment: We all are victims

My heart bled as I read the story of Samantha Mhlanga, who was one of the women who were abused in Kuwait. She went through a lot, together with the other women she went with there but one cannot blame them as they had gone to seek employment  and they thought they could make their lives as well as their families’ lives better after they would have settled down. They never thought anything bad would happen and one cannot blame them for being naive, with the current economic situation in Zimbabwe, we all have become naive.

People have begun taking advantage of the current situation to con people and waste people’s time as anyone will go anywhere where there seems to be hope or promises of jobs. I recently completed my degree and despite the CVs I have dropped at different companies there hasn’t been a response as yet and all I do is hope that soon, my phone will ring for an interview, and as each day passes, the levels of depression rise.

For the Bible says ‘…beware of false prophets…’

Nowadays, people fear to express their feelings or doubts on any  prophets’ miracles as the next person might be an avid follower of that particular prophet and saying anything that threatens their faith might leave you scarred  after  a few blows would have landed on your face. ‘The bible says touch not my anointed ones’ is what they have to say in their defense therefore you are not supposed to comment but just believe in the prophets’ miracles.

The same bible that says touch not my anointed ones is the same bible that warns us about false prophets. Matthew 24:24 says “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect,”(ESV). When miracles are performed, are we wrong in questioning the authenticity of the prophet lest we become blinded and we are led astray?

Letter to My Younger Brothers and Sisters : Word before you go back to school

My dear brothers and sisters

The holidays are almost over and I am sure you can’t wait to go back to school. Opening day is going to seem short as everyone will be eager to share their experiences during the vacation: how you traveled to another country, how you had the perfect Christmas, how you met up with who at the movies and all. Some stories will be true but for some, they will have to make up stories so as to fit in with the rest. My dear brothers and sisters, in as much as you can’t wait to go back to school to show off, never forget the reason why you are going to school in the first place.

‘ZESAless’ LIFE AS A STUDENT

The buzz of my landlord’s fridge is what I hope to hear when I wake up, and when I don’t hear it, it might be because it has decided to ‘rest’ for a moment, or it means ZESA has definitely done what it does best, cutting power. I used to know it as load shedding but I don’t think it still is load shedding when everyone in every part of the country is complaining.

Waking up to no power definitely means cold cereal (that’s if it’s the first two weeks of the month, because towards the end of the month, the coffers are dry), and when there’s no cereal, it means we are going with nothing in the stomach to the lectures. As if that’s not enough, we have to go with a cold bath and it simply is hard to bath with cold water in the cold mornings, especially when using the bucket, a cold shower is better but at times the city council decides to save the water as well so sometimes we just have to use the bucket. The bath I dread the most.

Age of Consent: Cause for concern

An average twelve year old is at school right now, in class, doing her math, content or reading a passage in ‘Nhaka Youpenyu‘ so that she writes her nzwisiso. She probably isn’t concentrating much because she is thinking of the weekend, the games she will play with her friends, or probably the new dress she will wear to church on Sunday and show off to her friends.
She is thinking of which cartoon to watch and what she will buy with the five rand she’s been given for pocket money. She will have to decide whether to buy a packet of jiggies, nibble naks or lollipops. That decision might even stress her out more than deciding which secondary school to go to next year. The thing she is considering first is whether the school allows them to plait their hair or not, whether the results at the school are good or not, she doesn’t care.
Whenever she throws a tantrum over failing to go for a trip, she can be tamed with chocolate or a day out at the long-chen plaza. That young girl who depends on her parents for everything, who is still tucked into bed and still doesn’t understand the reason behind having to bath twice a day, is the same little girl whom is being thought off as the girl who can consent to sex.

primary school children