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HERS is the tale of sheer determination, that no stumbling block should stand in your way despite all the challenges that we face in life. It is a tale that has mesmerised the world, amazed intellectuals and enlightened many, who knew this girl as an orphan who was struggling to raise school fees to see her through her education after having lost both of her parents at a very tender age. But perseverance, determination, focus, vision and discipline saw Maud Chifamba, from a poor family in the Hunters resettlement area of Kwekwe, fighting her way up the academic ladder despite all these odds that were weighing against her.
Although her story has been broadcast and told on numerous occasions around the globe, it is still as relevant an example to other students that no matter how “rainy” it can be in one’s life, there is always a shelter for those who dare to tread on without being deterred by the torrents and storms. Maud’s story of her unusual feat was beamed across the world, with CNN, among other prestigious channels, having captured her story to the world, while Wikipedia, the free lexicon, also described her as ‘the youngest university student in Africa (then in 2012).’
Forbes also announced and awarded her as one of their “Power Women of Africa”. But to understand why Maud deserves all these honours, an accomplishment rarely achieved by others of her generation, one needs to understand her family background and upbringing. Born in 1997 in Kwekwe in a family of two, the hand of fate first dealt Maud and her young brother a severe blow following the death of their father in 2002, when Maud was only five years old and was still to enrol for Grade One. As if to rub salt to this wound, her mother was also battling with cancer, an extremely vicious disease and chances of survival from it, are always slim if it is not well treated and medication not followed.
Her mother was always down with the ailment and as a result Maud was taken under the guardianship of her step-brother, who was staying at a plot where he was farming.
If it were most of us, we would surrender to the hand of fate and move under the pressure used on us by these developments.
But not for Maud, who enrolled for her Grade One at Hurudza Primary School where she immediately established herself as an exceptionally bright student full of great potential.
What could have been a mistake by the examiners turned out to be coincidence of luck for the young girl. In 2005, when she was sitting for her Grade Three mid-year exams, they inadvertently gave her a Grade Four examination paper which she passed with bright colours, scoring a 100 percent mark-rate.
This led to more experiments which saw her sitting for a Grade Five exam paper the following term the same year, and again, she sailed through and passed it. She then proceeded to Grade Seven where she came out with distinctions (four units). She was later identified by the Ministry of Education and awarded financial assistance for her Advanced Level in 2011 and she scored 12 points.
“Her mother died of cancer that year. After making headlines internationally, Chifamba was awarded a US$9 993 scholarship by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. In 2013 Chifamba scored distinctions at the University of Zimbabwe, where she was studying for her Bachelor of Accountancy Honours Degree,” wrote Forbes.
To the girl child, Maud’s is a tale that should inspire all of us to aim for the clouds, and after all, only the sky is just the limit.
Online Reporter