Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa and Solomon Bhumu
TINOTENDA Kunyerezera’s life turned upside down when her father returned home mentally challenged after a tragic road accident.
She was just 14-years-old at the time.
The burden of witnessing her once vibrant father succumbing to silence and confusion was overwhelming.
“He was never the same again,” said Tinotenda, now 19, her voice steady, but her eyes welling up with unshed tears.
“To this day, he often fails to recognise us. He sits alone, talking to things we cannot see.”
Since the accident, Tinotenda, from Chikara Village in rural Chigodora, has lived with the haunting memories of what she lost – a father’s love, security of a provider, and joy of a carefree childhood.
Her mother, Ms Noleen Kadumba, has become the family’s sole breadwinner, surviving on piecework jobs, vending fruits, digging fields, and washing laundry to put food on the table for her six children.
Tinotenda said there are days when the table is bare.
Nevertheless, she has persevered against all odds.
For six years, Tinotenda walked to Chitakatira High School every morning, wearing worn-out shoes and carrying hand-me-down school bags to protect her exercise books during the rainy season.
Paying school fees was a constant struggle.
On more than one occasion, she was sent home, her face flushed with embarrassment as her classmates looked on.
“There were times I thought of dropping out,” she recalled.
“I would feel so ashamed when they would call my name and tell me to leave class. But something inside me said, ‘keep going. I want to change my life. I want to change my mother’s life.’”
Tinotenda persevered, achieving an impressive 13 points at A-Level in 2024, with an A in Shona Literature and B’s in History and Family and Religious Studies.
She has been accepted to study Law at the University of Zimbabwe.
However, the cost of tuition fees for one semester – US$1 326 – comprising US$546 for tuition and US$780 for accommodation and food – is proving too high for her mother to afford.
“I am so close, yet still so far,” Tinotenda said, her voice filled with determination.
“This has been my dream – to become a lawyer and fight for children and women who suffer in silence, people like my mother. I have seen her being mistreated by others simply because she is poor,” she said.
Besides, Tinotenda, another learner from Chitakatira High School, Marylyn Nyarota (18), has faced a similarly painful journey.
Marylyn’s life was turned upside down when she lost her mother during her O-Level studies.
Orphaned and alone, she was taken in by her school teacher, Ms Susan Mabvudzi.
In an interview, Ms Mabvudzi said she had no choice, but to take Marylyn in, as she is dedicated to supporting vulnerable girls.
“When Marylyn lost her mother, she had nowhere else to turn to. I could not let her fall through the cracks, so I took her in,” said Ms Mabvudzi, her voice cracking with emotions.
“Despite my modest teacher’s salary and my own family to care for, I made room for her. She became one of us.”
Marylyn seized the opportunity, throwing herself into her studies as a way to cope with her pain.
“She excelled in Mathematics, and her determination only grew stronger. She achieved an impressive 20 points at A-Level, with all As in Pure Mathematics, Statistics, Geography, and Crop Science,” said Ms Mabvudzi.
Marylyn has earned a place at the University of Zimbabwe to study Actuarial Sciences, one of the country’s most competitive and challenging programmes.
“I would love to become an actuarial scientist after completing my studies, funds permitting. I have a passion for numbers – they make sense to me more than anything else,” she said with a shy smile.
However, like Tinotenda, Marylyn’s dream hangs in the balance.
Her first semester will cost US$1 340, comprising US$560 for tuition and US$780 for accommodation and food.
Ms Mabvudzi, who has taken both girls under her wing, admits that she cannot afford to support either of them financially.
“My entire salary does not cover one child’s university fees. But these girls are exceptional. If they miss out on university due to financial constraints, it will be a tragedy, not only for them, but also for the country,” she said.
Ms Mabvudzi believes that the girls’ success is a testament to Chitakatira High School’s commitment to nurturing excellence despite limited resources.
“I recall their tenacity, how they would often stay behind after classes to revise, sometimes studying under the faint light of classroom windows when there was no power at home.
“Tinotenda would often borrow books and copy notes by hand because she could not afford her own. Meanwhile, Marylyn was the go-to peer tutor for Maths and Accounting. Despite their challenges, they never complained and consistently showed up to class, day after day,” said Ms Mabvudzi.
She noted that the two girls’ determination has inspired their community, but inspiration alone cannot cover university fees.
“For this reason, I am appealing on behalf of both girls to well-wishers to provide financial assistance for their university studies. We believe that if people come together to support our girls, they will, not only achieve their degrees, but also contribute to the development of Chitakatira and Manicaland at large,” she said.
Tinotenda added: “We are not begging, but we are asking anyone who believes in education and girls like us to please help us get to university.”
Marylyn echoed this sentiment, saying: “We want to succeed, not just for ourselves, but for every other girl in the village who thinks their circumstances mean they cannot dream big.”
Both girls expressed their desire to return to their communities after university to give back and uplift others.
“I want to come back as a lawyer and advocate for those who have no voice. I have seen the impact of silence on the vulnerable,” said Tinotenda.
Marylyn aspirations include showing rural learners that even Actuarial Science is within reach.
“Just because we come from rural areas does not mean our futures must remain limited. I want other girls in rural areas to know that they too can achieve their goals,” she said.
For those willing to offer support, Tinotenda Kunyerezera can be contacted on 0784982649, and her mother on 0773849090.
Marylyn Nyarota can be reached at 0775091696, and Ms Susan Mabvudzi, who cares for both girls, is available on 0783730934.
