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Veronica Gwaze Sports Reporter
WHEN Nelia Musikavanhu was christened 67 years ago, little did her parents know that the name would be an embodiment of her life’s work.
For most of her adulthood, ‘Mbuya Musikavanhu’ has lived a life of ‘a supreme creator or re-creator of lives’.
The ‘goddess’ has given more than 100 young girls who hail from rugged backgrounds a second lease at life through her Faith Drive Football Academy.
Her beneficiaries are largely orphans, vagrants and disadvantaged girls from across the country. Interestingly, the granny looks after all these players under her roof, feeding them with proceeds from menial jobs.
Yet she never demands any payment in return.
Since formation in 2004, the Academy has grown to be talent nursery of repute, churning out star players, some of whom have played for the Mighty Warriors.
In fact, most teams in the women’s elite league and Division One feed off the academy.
As the world celebrates the achievements of women in March, women football revels at Mbuya Musikavanhu’s remarkable journey of passion and fortitude.
Celebrated as a ‘mother, and giver of life’ the passionate Dangamvura, Mutare woman is so daring that she often has to go out of her way just to transform the lives of young girls.
Some notable names who have emerged from the academy include Alice Moyo, Berita Kabwe (Correctional Service), Edeline Mtumbami (Chapungu), Maud Mafuruse, Shyline Dambamuromo, Melody Chikore, Rennie Mudimu, Cynthia Shonga (Herentals), Purity Mugayi (Malandies, South Africa), Concilia Madotsa (Black Rhinos), Angeline Mudambanuki (Platinum Royals), Bethel Kondo and Cathrine Gwangwara.
Moyo, who has also plied her trade in Zambia and South Africa, feels indebted to Mbuya Musikavanhu.
The 23-year-old is an orphan who, up to this day, can only define life from the confines of a children’s home.
She was raised briefly at Fairfield Children’s Home in Old Mutare before she was adopted by Mbuya Musikavanhu.
The football star has no clue who or where her biological parents are as they abandoned her when she was still an infant.
“I do not know how best I can describe Gogo Musikavanhu, I feel like breaking down because she is the reason I am who I am today,” she said.
“My life revolves around her and even if I am to die today, she is the only family I have…
“I used to have suicidal thoughts, asking myself questions, wondering why my parents abandoned me but gogo turned my life around.
“I do not know if I have siblings or not, gogo, my mates and football are my family.”
Shonga also recalls her formative years in Mutare as a young girl who found herself under Mbuya Musikavanhu’s wing for her love for football to flourish.
Joining the academy in 2011, the Nyamauru High scholarship beneficiary sat for her Ordinary Levels four years later.
However, already making a name for herself as a rising goal minder, Shonga never collected her O’ level results as she felt she was not academically gifted. In 2018, she made her international debut for the Young Mighty Warriors at the Region Five Under-20 Games in Botswana.
At the youth tournament, she was impressive that she even began being touted as a possible successor of then-Mighty Warriors number one Goalie, Chido Dzingirai.
Last year, the former Harare City Queens star bagged the COSAFA Women’s Cup Golden Glove. And she is grateful to Mbuya Musikavanhu.
“I do not know how to describe her; how do you define someone who literally gave you a life?” asked the gifted goal minder.
“My parents did not fully support my passion for the game and had it not been for her I would have not have been here.”
Mbuya Musikavanhu, a Manicaland former netball player of repute still has memories of the days in 2004 when she founded Faith Drive Academy, as a football for girls’ project with 25 girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
With some of the young girls being school going ages, the football benefactor had to dig into her coffers to enrol them in school.
However, facing sponsorship challenges, she had to enter into a partnership with Nyamauru High School to secure scholarships for the players.
Apart from the education and football proficiency, the girls, also benefit moral guidance from Mbuya Musikavanhu.
As a result, some parents now periodically take their children to the Academy for grooming. Currently she has 20 girls under her home and 40 others attached to the academy.
“It has been a tough journey, sometimes failing to place a decent meal on the table for the girls…getting myself into debt and to cut electricity bills, we use open fire for cooking,” said Mbuya Musikavanhu.
“I have groomed many girls but Moyo stands out, she is my adopted child.
“At her former home, she had grown to be unpopular with her mates for her rowdy and bullish behaviour, she loved fighting and everyone feared her.
“I adopted her, worked on her behaviour and now she is a totally different person, I am happy with what all the girls have done for themselves, the achievements.
“Some come back to assist but others do not; I am happy though that I was able to touch and transform lives.”
Online Reporter