adminThe man of the cloth, Reverend Lazarus Muyambi, had just been posted to lead a local parish, St Agnes Church, at Gokwe Town.
Flies were swarming all over the fragile-looking, naked body of the dumped baby. A casual glance at the baby could have given one the illusion that the newly born was about to take its last breath.
Maybe that could have happened if the baby’s God-sent saviour had not arrived at the scene on time. Reliving the events leading to his picking of the dumped baby 29 years later, Reverend Muyambi who today is
aged 78, said he was taking a walk after a lunch hour church service when he came across the infant.
Without even thinking about how his wife Mrs Neddie Muyambi would react, Rev Muyambi picked up the dumped baby and took it home.
The reverend was to name the infant Lawrence Muyambi after failing to trace its mother or any of the infant’s relatives.
“As a man of faith, I was presented with one of the testing moments of my life as I had to live by the very word that I preach. I did not even give myself time to consider going to the police to make a report first because I considered the state in which the infant was. I thought that reasoning out with the police would not save the baby’s life,” said the soft-spoken church leader.
Rev Muyambi had two other children already in his custody that he had found dumped earlier. To him, coming across the dumped Lawrence was not shocking. He considered such acts as normal to his God-ordained chores.
“When I heard a tiny and faint voice I went to investigate. I then discovered that it was a newly born baby that had just been dumped. I quickly plucked the baby out of the mud and grabbed it tightly to my chest as I started praying, thanking God for the responsibility he had assigned to me,” he said.
Faced with such a challenge, many would have left the baby behind and rushed to the police to make a report.
Not Rev Muyambi.
He took baby Lawrence home where he became the third adopted child of the Muyambis.
At home, Rev Muyambi discussed the issue of the new baby with his wife now aged (70).
The two then agreed to engage the church and suggested to the authorities to build an orphanage.
“After selling our idea to the church, the church elders, however, indicated that they had no funds to construct an orphanage. This did not deter us in our mission to help the vulnerable children. I told my wife that this was a challenge that we were faced with and we had to live by faith and construct our own orphanage.
“With God’s help, we kick-started our orphanage project using our own funds and resources. We later invited donations towards the construction of the home. Men of little faith were even mocking us and labelling the project a joke but we persevered,” he said.
Rev Muyambi said it took four years to complete the orphanage. He said they decided to name the home after their church, St Agnes Children’s Home.
This is how St Agnes Children’s Home, which became home to baby Lawrence, came into being.
Today, Mr Lawrence Muyambi is about 29 years old as his actual date of birth is unknown.
The home, situated in the cotton-growing town of Gokwe, has today grown in stature and name as it now accommodates 35 children in difficult circumstances.
St Agnes Children’s Home recently had a Christmas party courtesy of the Gokwe business community. Among those who graced the occasion was Mr Lawrence Muyambi, who just like many other children at the home, adopted Muyambi as their surname from the family that gave them succour. The man who was plucked from the jaws of death as an infant dumped in a swamp, is today a proud father of one.
Mr Muyambi is now based in Birmingham in the United Kingdom courtesy of the home and its network of friends in Britain.
Rev Muyambi said the orphanage has managed to establish link-up programmes with their British friends.
He said the programme has seen more than 10 children who grew up at the home enrolling at Birmingham University.
“This is how Lawrence managed to get to the UK where he is now based. He trained as a bricklayer and is now based in the UK where he is practising his profession. We have other children who came from this children’s home who are now at Birmingham University, two of them, including a female, are studying law at the university,” he said.
Rev Muyambi said he was proud of Lawrence’s achievements and that of many other children who grew up at the home.
“I think it is such blessings that we should continue to thank our Almighty for. The children from this home are prospering, thanks to our well-wishers and friends. Most of our children who excel in their studies end up in the UK,” he said.
Rev Muyambi said they have since constructed a pre-school, primary and secondary school meant to enroll children from the home.
“The pre-school and the primary school are now functional and these institutions are now sources of income as we enroll pupils from outside the orphanage as well. The fees they pay are then used for the upkeep of the children at the home. We have also constructed a secondary school and a clinic. These facilities are, however, yet to be opened as there are some procedures which need to be done first,” he said.
Mr Lawrence Muyambi expressed gratitude to Rev Muyambi and his wife for the wonderful work that they were doing in Gokwe.
“The good work they are doing to bring back a life and its meaning to people is very difficult to explain. They adopted me and I regard them as my parents. They also play a parental role to many children at St Agnes Children’s Home,” said the now heavily built man who is married to a British woman.
Mr Muyambi was accompanied by his one-and-a-half year-old baby girl Farai Erika Muyambi to Gokwe for the Christmas party.
He said he had not yet opened up to his wife as it was difficult to do so. Mr Muyambi said he was always touched by how the Muyambis came into his life and saved him from possible death.
“I find it difficult to tell my wife about my life history because to me, my parents are Reverend and Mrs Muyambi. To tell her the true story of my life and the difficult experiences that I went through as a baby, to me, is pointless. I have told myself that these are my parents (Muyambis) and so I have just told my wife that they are her in-laws,” he said.
Mr Muyambi said he intended to adopt one of the girls at St Agnes Children’s Home.
“I am doing this as a token of appreciation to what was done for me. I am processing documents to make the arrangement legal and I hope to take the girl with me back to the UK when I return,” he said.
Online Reporter