Mkhululi Ncube [email protected]
EVERY morning, Ms Imilaminkosi Nkomo wakes up early to prepare her Grade Two daughter for school before setting off on a six-kilometre journey to pursue an education she once feared she would never complete.
By the time she returns home, the 22-year-old has another shift to begin — helping her daughter with homework, washing her uniform and preparing her for the next school day.
It is a demanding routine for any mother, but for Ms Nkomo, it represents something much bigger.
It represents a second chance to fulfil a childhood dream that poverty, teenage pregnancy and repeated financial setbacks once threatened to extinguish.
Today, Ms Nkomo is the head girl at Gwambe Secondary School in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province, and is determined to complete her Ordinary Level studies before pursuing her ambition of becoming a medical doctor.
Her journey back to the class room began with a painful setback.
In 2016, after excelling in her Grade Seven examinations at Kandana Primary School, Ms Nkomo was unable to proceed to secondary school because her family could not afford the fees.
Her father was unemployed and education became an expense the household could not meet.
“I have always loved school. That was heartbreaking for me because I had done well in my Grade Seven examinations,” she said.
Instead of joining her peers in secondary school, she remained at home, watching them progress while she took on household chores.
In 2018, she fell pregnant at a time when she was already struggling to come to terms with the loss of her education.
With a baby to support and few options available, she moved to Plumtree town, where she found work as a domestic worker.
Although the job helped her provide for herself and her child, the desire to return to school never left her.
“Inside, I was burning with the desire to continue with my education, even though it looked bleak because I was now a mother. I was praying daily to get someone who could assist me to get back to school,” she said.
Ms Nkomo’s breakthrough came in 2022, when the DREAMS programme, implemented by World Vision, reached her ward looking for girls who wanted to return to school.
Six years after leaving the classroom, Ms Nkomo saw a chance to rebuild her future.
She left her job and returned home to enrol in the programme. In 2023, at the age of 19, she began Form One at Gwambe Secondary School.
Returning to school was not without its challenges. Ms Nkomo found herself learning alongside pupils several years younger than her, some of whom mocked her and questioned whether she would remain in school.
“Some of the learners were mocking me, saying I would get pregnant again, but I was determined, spurred on by the real-life experiences I had faced after dropping out,” she said.
Her determination paid off, but another setback soon threatened to derail her progress.
While Ms Nkomo was in Form Two, the DREAMS programme ended, leaving her uncertain about how she would continue paying her school fees.
A well-wisher from the local community, based in the diaspora, stepped in and supported her through Form Three. However, the assistance eventually ended when the benefactor faced his own educational commitments.
Once again, Ms Nkomo confronted the possibility of dropping out.
This time, support came from the Campaign for Female Education (Camfed), which took up her case and helped keep her dream alive.
“Camfed is now supporting my educational journey and they even paid for my O-level examinations. My dream is to be a medical doctor,” she said.
Her election as head girl this year has added another dimension to her journey. Having experienced the difficulties of returning to school as a young mother, she now helps guide and support fellow learners.
At home, Ms Nkomo is a mother first, balancing her studies with the demands of raising her daughter, who is now in Grade Two at Kandana Primary School — the same school where Imilaminkosi completed her primary education.
“My daughter is in Grade Two now at the same primary school I went to. I wake up early in the morning and prepare her for school. Because I learn six kilometres away from home, I leave early,” she said.
“If the two schools were near each other, we would leave home together, mother and daughter, to chase our dreams.”
When Ms Nkomo returns from school, she helps her daughter with homework, washes her uniform and prepares her for the following day.
“My daughter knows mum is going to school just like her,” she said with a laugh.
Her story has also become a message of hope for other girls whose education has been interrupted by poverty or pregnancy.
Ms Nkomo believes girls should be given the opportunity to build their futures through education and achieve financial independence.
“Education comes first. Build your future and have financial security before thinking about marriage. Had I not stopped school, I would not have had a baby, but I am grateful that Government allows girls in my situation to come back to school,” she said.
“To young girls who have fallen pregnant, you can still go back to school. Learn from your mistakes and rebuild your life again.”
Gwambe Secondary School head Mr Nhlanhla Dube described Ms Nkomo as a bright and determined learner whose story could inspire other young mothers to return to education.
He said several girls who had enrolled through the DREAMS programme dropped out after it ended, despite the school making follow-up efforts to bring them back.
“Imilaminkosi is a bright, determined learner. Her story is inspirational and we are counting on her to do well in her final O-level examinations,” said Mr Dube.
He said the school had arranged accommodation for Ms Nkomo and other girls in one of its cottages to give them time to prepare for their examinations without unnecessary challenges.
