Andrew
Tawanda Musarurwa
Why can’t life be easy?
It is probably humanity’s biggest question. A question that delves deep into the very essence of life.
“The very act of birthing is a struggle; a life-or-death struggle for either mother or child; or both.”
It wasn’t a response I was expecting when I posed the question to author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, mentor, and mother Rutendo Gwatidzo.
But then again, why was I even expecting an easy response?
This is a woman who has seen it all, and it is all encapsulated in her book, “Born to Fight”.
“Born to Fight” is a literary work of our times. It was published in 2020, when the world was in the middle of a ravaging health pandemic.
But the book was conceived in 2018 when Rutendo was going through a mini-pandemic of her own.
“Being an entrepreneur, there are so many battles that you find yourself dealing with. Whether you like it or not, you always get involved in battles.
“So, I was going through ups and downs in life. In 2011 my husband and I’s business had collapsed and in 2018 I was again going through things, and I felt like giving up.
“At the time I was pregnant with my last born, so I was limited in what I could do to assist my husband, and how I could manoeuvre in my own business.
“And yet things were happening left, right and centre. I felt my priority was to protect the baby I was carrying, but that was at the expense of everything else that required my attention.
It was at this pivotal moment that Rutendo was inspired to put pen to paper, as it dawned upon her that all of life’s challenges exist to be conquered.
And conquered she has.
“Born to Fight” neatly describes her against-the-odds life journey.
“The book has a narrative that spans across childhood to adulthood, village life to city life, success and failures, poverty and affluence, friendship and deception,” says Rutendo.
“The book ‘Born to Fight’ aims to make people realise their different battles and encourage them to face their battles with winning strategies because it is not a matter of fighting anyhow; it is a matter of fighting with winning strategies.”
The fifth born in a family of seven, Rutendo, was born in Buhera, but spent a greater part of her childhood years in Dande, where her farming parents had moved to in search in greener pastures.
She only discovered the bright lights of Harare in her teenage years, but it was not rosy.
“In the city I stayed with my siblings and it was hard because my parents did not make much from farming to support us, especially during the time when we were all still attending school, my older siblings were doing tertiary education while I was in high school,” she said.
Years later she met her husband, Munyaradzi. However, it was not a bed of roses either, as he was an orphan who was trying to find his feet as well.
This was the beginning of new phases in both their journeys that was to be marked by trial and error, disappointment and happiness, rise and falls, and rises again.
Today, Rutendo is the managing director of Africanglow, a company that does corporate wear, interior designs and tailor-made clothing.
She is also the managing director for The Hub, a human resources consultancy that focuses on HR services and training.
And she is also a non-executive director at Astro Tech Group, which was founded by her husband.
The company, which started as G-Tide, is popularly known for selling mobile devices and it won a continental award in November 2015.
In the recent years it expanded to health and wellness solutions as Pulse Health, and it also has a financial technology company, E-shagi that provides instant loans and lastly the company has software solutions also.
And to add another feather in her cap, “Born to Fight” was recently approved by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as a humanitarian supplementary book for secondary schools.
It’s been a journey-and-a-half for a “rural girl”.
And that is the vital message of her book: regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in, and the challenges you face, they can be overcome by employing winning strategies.
And when the universe has responded to your winning strategies, what’s the next step?
For Rutendo, it is now about giving back.
“I’m now motivated by the desire to contribute in making a difference especially to children in rural school.
‘‘No child should walk a distance of more than 10 kilometres to and from school.
“No child should go to school with torn uniforms and probably no shoes. No child should experience inadequate education where there are no books and furniture,” she says.
“My vision is to eventually build schools with adequate furniture and stationery especially in remote areas.”
Giving back in a big way is part of her long-term goals. So is expanding her current businesses.
“I see myself with one of the biggest human capital consultancy companies, with an automated system that makes human capital management very easy.
“I see Africanglow being recognised at the continental level, for top quality garments and interior designs. And I also see myself having written more than 10 books that are educational, inspirational and life transforming.”
So, have you won, or are you still fighting?
She laughs, and shrewdly responds: “I’m winning, and I’m still fighting.”
Online Reporter