Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya [email protected]
FOR 14-year-old Shalom Humbe, getting an education has never been easy. Every school day, rain or shine, she travels 2,5km from her home in Andrus area under Beitbridge West to Tshamunanga Secondary School, where she is a Form One pupil. Despite living with a spinal cord condition that has left her unable to walk, Shalom has remained determined to learn.
Her dedication has not gone unnoticed. According to her school head, she is among the top-performing pupils in her class.
For years, Shalom relied on an old, worn-out wheelchair to get to school. She moved herself by pushing the wheels with her hands, while her mother or a friend often helped her along the dusty route.
When it rained, however, the wheelchair’s worn tyres frequently became stuck in the mud, forcing her to miss lessons.
Her father, Mr Nehemiah Humbe, said the family discovered her condition when she was still a baby.
“She tried to crawl like other babies, but her legs did not move,” he said. “We took her to the clinic. The nurses said it was a spinal cord problem. She would never walk.”
Despite the diagnosis, the family resolved that Shalom would attend school like any other child.
Every day, her mother or a friend would help push her to school and back — a 5km round trip that was both physically demanding and time-consuming.
Yet, according to her family, Shalom never complained.
She simply wanted to learn.
Her story eventually reached Beitbridge-based radio personality and master of ceremonies Miss Patience Moyo, widely known as MC Pashy.
The Lotsha FM presenter leads a community charity initiative called Giving Back to the Community, which assists vulnerable residents after hearing their stories through the local radio station.
When she learnt about Shalom’s struggles, she immediately sprang into action.
“This child loves school. She is good at maths. But her wheelchair is finished. When it rains, she cannot go to class. So, after learning about her story we mobilised to assist like what we have done before. Basically, we help the most vulnerable people with immediate and severe needs, the vulnerable especially involving kids, elderly, disabled, and those in extreme poverty.”
Miss Moyo said the community responded positively after an appeal was made for assistance.
“Phone calls came in. Messages came in. People wanted to help. That is how Beitbridge works. When one person calls for help, others answer,” emphasised Miss Moyo.
Following the fundraising campaign, the group managed to purchase a modern wheelchair and groceries for the family before arranging a handover ceremony at their homestead.
Last Sunday, a convoy of vehicles arrived at the Humbe family home in Andrus.
Shalom’s mother was overwhelmed with emotion as community members unloaded groceries and a brand-new wheelchair.
The donations were officially handed over by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South, Albert Nguluvhe, alongside community members and well-wishers.
The community pooled resources to buy Shalom a strong and durable wheelchair that will make travelling to school much easier.
During the ceremony, Minister Nguluvhe also paid her school fees for two terms.
Businessman Dr Felix Venge of Samaz Enterprises pledged to cover her school fees up to Form Four.
“I was touched by her story,” he said. “If she loves maths, she can become an engineer or accountant one day. I will support her.”
Local socialite Mr Boyd Bobo Maphosa paid her registration fees for the year.
In addition, the #onekindactaday initiative, supported by Enque Contracting and NOG (New Orlscade Group), pledged to provide school uniforms for Shalom until she completes her Ordinary Level studies.
For the Humbe family, the support came as a huge relief. Mr Humbe and his wife are unemployed and have six children, with Shalom being their youngest. Life has been particularly difficult for the family in recent years.
Mr Humbe said they once lived at the homestead of a businessman in their village. However, after the businessman died, the family was forced to leave and suddenly found themselves without a place to stay.
Their fortunes changed when fellow villager Mr John Mashaba offered them a small homestead that had belonged to his late younger brother. Although modest, it gave the family a place to call home.
The couple survives mainly through small-scale farming and occasional casual jobs, making it difficult to cover school expenses for their children.
“When we were chased away, we thought life had ended,” Mr Humbe said. “But people showed us that there is still kindness. We are grateful to this gesture from the community of Beitbridge.”
Mr Humbe, who previously worked as a taxi driver, said his dream was to one day own a vehicle that could transport his daughter to school.
He added that pushing a wheelchair daily along sandy and dusty roads was challenging.
“All the other five children have grown up and we left Shalom at home. She loves school and we are happy to see the community coming to support us,” he added.
Mr Mashaba, who provided the family with a home, said he had watched Shalom grow from a primary school pupil into a secondary school learner.
For years, he tried to repair her ageing wheelchair whenever it broke down.
“I would repair it when the wheel came off or the frame broke. But it was too much. The chair was old. It was heart-breaking to see that child struggle every day, especially when it rained,” he said.
He praised Tshamunanga Secondary School head Mr Garfield Makwati for reaching out to MC Pashy and seeking help for the girl.
“This girl deserves better,” he said. “Now she has a new chair. She can go to school with pride,” said Mr Mashaba.
Shalom’s mother said her daughter is passionate about education and rarely wants to miss lessons.
“She is passionate about education and doesn’t want to miss class at all costs. She strongly believes in education,” said Shalom’s mother.
Mr Makwati described Shalom as a quiet but highly focused learner and thanked the community for responding to the call for assistance.
Before receiving the new wheelchair, rain often meant staying at home. Now, the stronger chair with improved tyres and brakes can handle difficult terrain much better, giving her a greater chance of attending lessons consistently.
For MC Pashy, Shalom’s story is one of many.
She said her charity initiative regularly receives calls from residents facing different hardships. “I just share their stories on Lotsha FM and other platforms. Beitbridge people listen. They give what they can in cash or in kind, a bag of mealie-meal and sometimes it is a full wheelchair,” said the MC.
Minister Nguluvhe said supporting vulnerable children requires a collective effort from both Government and communities.
“Government cannot do it alone. When communities stand together, we can change one life at a time. This girl must not be left behind,” said Minister Nguluvhe.
As the ceremony ended and the visitors prepared to leave, Shalom sat proudly in her new wheelchair, waving goodbye.
For the first time in a long while, the journey to school looked a little easier.
The road remains 2,5km long, with the same hills, dust and challenges. But thanks to the kindness of a caring community, Shalom now faces that journey with something she has always carried in abundance — hope.
