Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu, Deputy Echo Editor
IT has been 15 years of love, laughter, tears, and challenges for Allan Maraidza and Christine Chibatamoto, who first met as teenagers in Mabuthweni suburb, Bulawayo.
Allan was then a Form Four pupil at Lobengula Secondary School, while Christine was at Mpopoma High School. The two lived in the same neighbourhood and were part of an inter-denominational choir that brought together young people from different churches.
“I remember it clearly, April 30, 2010. That was the day I told her how I felt. She was quiet, modest, always in her long skirts and different from the other girls,” said Allan.
“At first she said no, but later that same day she agreed and from then on we started dating.”
Two years later, on the exact same date, April 30, 2012, Christine fell pregnant. The news was not well-received at home and she was sent away. Allan, still a teenager himself, was faced with a life-changing decision.
“Some people even advised me to deny the pregnancy and go to South Africa. But my mother told me to take responsibility.
“She reminded me that Christine and I came from the same background, we were both first-borns, both raised by widowed mothers. She guided me and I see now that she was raising me right,” said Allan.
The young couple soon found themselves starting life together in Pumula suburb. Their first home was a single rented room, with just a mattress, one blanket, and one pot.
“We cooked relish in that pot, then emptied it and cooked isitshwala/sadza in the same pot. It was tough, but when I look back, I see God’s hand,” Allan recalled.
Without a steady job, Allan had to find ways to provide for his young family. A friend encouraged him to hire out a PA system for weddings and parties, and that small hustle helped him buy baby clothes and necessities.
On September 12, 2012, Christine gave birth to their first child, Zoey Richard. Allan recalled how he was overjoyed.
“I wanted to tell the whole world that I was a father,” he said.
Later, Allan tried his luck in Cape Town, South Africa, but returned home within a year after struggling to make ends meet. Back in Bulawayo, Christine got a job and encouraged him to go back to school to supplement his Ordinary Levels while she worked.
“It’s rare to find someone like that. She went to work while I went back to school. I passed, and later found a job at a furniture company and eventually learnt the trade,” he said.
Through all the hardships, Allan said the young couple never abandoned their faith or each other. Neighbours and church members often doubted their relationship would last, given how young they were when it started.
“Older people would come to us and say, ‘You inspire us’, and that always humbled me. Most people thought we would fall apart, but we kept our promise to stick together,” he said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic period, Allan was finally able to raise money to pay lobola for Christine, a moment he said was deeply emotional.
“After 10 years, I thought, maybe her family would be bitter. But they welcomed me warmly. Her uncle, who stood in for her late father, told me he respected me for keeping my word all those years,” he said.
After years of working in furniture companies, Allan started his own business, Fabric Fusion, which specialises in office furniture and upholstery.
As the business grew, he decided it was time to reward Christine for her loyalty and love with a wedding.
“Preparing for a wedding is not easy. Roadblocks come from anywhere, but God saw us through. The day came on 23 August this year at Southern Cross Estate, and it was more beautiful than we imagined,” he said.
“I thank my pastor, Apostle Joshua Zulu of Royal Priesthood Church, for standing with us throughout. He drove me to the venue and presided over the ceremony.”
Looking back, Allan said he hoped their story would encourage parents to support their children even when they stumble.
“Our journey shows that a mistake is not the end. It’s a misstep, and you can bounce back. At one point, I was suicidal, longing for encouragement from a parent.
“That’s why I say: let’s not throw our children to the wolves. Let’s guide them with love,” he said.
The couple’s youngest daughter, Shammah Anotida, is in Grade One, while Zoey Richard recently turned 13 on the 23rd of September and is writing his Grade Seven exams.
