“WE ONLY LIVE ONCE…
BUT IF WE LIVE RIGHT, ONCE IS ENOUGH…”
BY GODY PAUNGANWA
Life is a journey, life is a struggle but those who have better lives;
telling them about the giants one has to face along the path of life is like
explaining how the gal
axy system works. To
them it is something they cannot relate to.
In Manyonho village located in Mutasa District found in Manicaland
province lived a certain boy whose name is Nhamo. He is the last born in a
family of six. At a certain point in time while Nhamo was still very young, a
dispute arose between his parents which led to a complete divorcement between
them. The complete detachment between his parents caused the entire family get
driven away.
The day following the dispute, Nhamo and his mother,
including his five sisters sneaked into the eerie darkness heading to their mother’s
place of origin in Matabeleland, specifically Gwanda. Nhamo now found himself living
in Gwanda, a place known of famine because it is located on the leeward side of
mountain ranges and receives less or no rainfall due to stable conditions and
descending air,
Nhamo thought to
himself that was the end of the road because the entire family sometimes slept
on empty stomachs. Problems and disappointments remained deeply a menace to
Nhamo. He and his sisters spent most of their time in mountains gathering wild
fruits such as baobab fruits and also catching fish in River Thuli. Water is a
scarce resource in Gwanda, Nhamo used to share water with his sisters using
bottle tops. He later became an expert in predicting the ripening season of
fruits since they formed the main basis of their diet.
After teenager Nhamo lost both his parents, it seemed his
fate was sealed. He had been often in memories of emotional outbursts. He would
turn to crime and join the ranks of thugs who litter the village. As a result
of that, he was barred from entering his neighbours and relatives’ homesteads.
Although Nhamo deeply regretted what had happened, he was desperate to get
educated and escape the bleak future awaiting him. He decided to look for
part-time jobs at himself neighbours’ fields to self-fund his education, but
once they discovered him, they would kick him off. That was the genesis of his
troubles.
Nhamo found himself on the wrong side of the law and
spending time at juvenile detention centres. He should have given up but he did
not. He fought his demons and bad-boy image and one way or the other managed to
finish grade seven and passed his examinations and that gave him a glimmer of
hope.
Nhamo migrated back to Mutasa District after his father
hunted down on them. At that point Nhamo was in form three. He was very active
in activities undertaken in the school, for instance he played soccer in the
school team and was also a good participant in dramatic activities that he was
tipped for the best support actor nominations in the school.
In the year 2012, Nhamo sat for Ordinary Level (O level)
ZIMSEC examinations in nine subjects and passed them all. Then in 2013 after
the publication the Ordinary level results, he proceeded to Advanced Level (A
level), being the shortest and the most difficult course. While most of Nhamo’s
friends after completing Ordinary Level were busy looking for scarce jobs,
Nhamo showed that with determination, it is possible to surmount almost
impossible and became a success in life.
Nhamo spent most of his time devoted to hard and wearisome
studies. At year end in 2014, he sat for advanced level ZIMSEC examinations which
proved to be a thorn in the flesh. Be that as it was, however, he scored eight
points. The distribution of points was as follows, 5 points in Business
studies, 2 points in Geography and a point Accounting.
Nhamo, after passing his Advanced level examinations and
having risen from the depths and against almost impossible odds, is an example
that with determination and the willingness to work hard and learn, anybody can
become a success in life.
