Online Reporter
Latwell Nyangu
MISS Universe Zimbabwe finalist Tatenda Madzinga has shifted her focus to be an advocate for victims of lupus – a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues instead of protecting the body.
It can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain and many other organs.
Tatenda, who is based in the United States, is a lupus survivor.
She founded the Lava Foundation, aimed at raising awareness about lupus and other autoimmune diseases.
She was a finalist at the recently-held Miss Universe Zimbabwe.
“I was part of Miss Universe Zimbabwe and it was something that I didn’t plan but it came along my journey as I was advocating for lupus.
“I wanted to showcase my advocacy and I managed to present the idea in front of many people, which was a great opportunity for me.
“I learned quite a lot during the process,” she said.
Tatenda went on to form Lava Foundation, with the aim of raising awareness about lupus.
“Two years ago, I was diagnosed with lupus and the journey was not easy.
“I struggled from the beginning, right from getting diagnosed, to treatment, and living with it.
“When I fell sick, I thought it was just a simple headache and I want to encourage people that whenever you have a health issue, make sure you get checked, don’t delay.
“The symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, hair loss, fever, chest pain, brain fog, and sensitivity to sunlight.”
She added:
“There was a point where that illness almost took my life and it was only through prayer and treatment that I am here today.
“So, because God saved my life, I decided to give back to Him by creating this platform where I encourage people and teach them how God was good to me.”
She started advocating about lupus through social media platforms.
“My journey started when I was doing social media education and, from there, that’s when the opportunity of Miss Universe came along the way.
“From Miss Universe, I was able to open my foundation and I have been doing community outreaches in Epworth and Highfield.
“We also managed to visit a few schools and, in the future, we will be able to visit health institutions.
“So far, we have been able to reach over 600 people in Zimbabwe.”
She revealed why she decided to return home.
“The reason why I decided to come home is because, as a Zimbabwean affected by lupus, I thought it just existed somewhere until I was diagnosed and started paying attention.
“So, with that experience, I want to make sure every Zimbabwean gets to know about this disease and their health.
“In America, a lot of people know about this illness and they do a lot of research.
“But, here in Zimbabwe, a lot of people seem to overlook issues related to health.
“So, I decided to come home and educate my fellow Zimbabweans, that we can better understand and manage this disease.
“We need to know what it is so that people get medical attention.
“I am still looking for more partners to make this dream a success.
“We have been focusing on Harare due to resource constraints but we need to expand to different parts of the country and even beyond the country.”
She also hopes to work on issues related to drug and substance abuse.
“Issues of drug abuse hit me hard and I sympathise with victims.
“I am going to work on that because it affects many young people.”
