Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
A WOMAN, who was abandoned by the two men who fathered her two sets of twins, says she has been through hell just to take care of her children.
Her first husband dumped her, just after the birth of her first set of twins because, he claimed, he did not have the resources to take care of the two children. Esther Mhundihwo then found another man but he also dumped her after learning that she was carrying a set of twins.
He fled to South Africa.
Esther followed him to Mzansi where she then gave birth to another set of twins but her marriage could not be saved. “I am facing a double life,” she said. “Having two sets of twins is a gift from God and the double challenges I face to support them is another life I have had to experience.”
She said her first marriage produced twin girls but it soon ended when her husband divorced her, describing the twins as “double trouble”.
Esther married again but she faced a similar nightmare in South Africa where she was helped by sympathisers to give birth.
“When I returned to Zimbabwe, I faced a double life with more questions than answers,” she said.
Now living with her four children, Esther works as a vendor in Harare to take care of her children.
“I am struggling to clear school fees arrears at Hatfield Girls High because of the double uniform, double fees and double stationery,” she said.
Esther was among mothers of twins at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Twins Conference held at Harare Gardens on Saturday.
The conference brought together twins and people from multiple-birth families to share ideas on how to empower one another and overcome challenges faced by families with twins.
Africa Twins Association presidents Farai Lawyer and Tendai Mayor Katonha hailed corporate organisations for their support.
Katonha said the conference highlighted the importance of education and health support for twins.
“We want to thank African heads of state, including President Mnangagwa, for understanding the challenges faced by the twins community, especially in education and health sectors,” Katonha said. “Today, we have a father who came with his twins alone because his wife faced mental challenges during birth, which is one of the challenges faced by mothers of twins.”
Twins from the region praised Zimbabwean dishes, describing them as delicious and healthy.
The twins and their mothers also accessed free health checks from medical practitioners.
