The boy who sneaked into school

Veronica Gwaze-Zimpapers Sports Hub

SHADRECK MDHLANO knows what one open door can do to a life.

As a boy living with the effects of polio, he once slipped away from home and followed other children to school, sneaking into a classroom before a teacher persuaded his parents to enrol him.

Nearly six decades later, the retired National Railways of Zimbabwe manager plans to turn part of his inherited land in Mberengwa into a multi-purpose sports facility for another generation.

Mdhlano wants football and netball programmes at the centre to provide opportunities for young people affected by school dropout, early marriage, teenage pregnancy and drug and substance abuse.

His homestead lies at the foot of rugged hills in semi-arid Mberengwa, about 24km south-east of Zvishavane.

It is here that he has earmarked land for the project.

Now a businessman running a borehole drilling and events management company, Mdhlano intends to use proceeds from his business to help fund the initiative.

“A lot is happening in this and other communities, and I believe it is up to us to bring change and help the coming generations,” he said.

The ambition is rooted in his own childhood.

Born in 1963, Mdhlano is the firstborn in a family of eight.

At the age of five, he contracted polio together with his three-year-old sister.

His sister later regained her mobility, but Mdhlano was left with lasting impairment to his left leg and hand.

His parents, Samuel and Rumbidzai, feared he would not manage the long walks to and from school.

They were concerned about the stigma he faced from other children and kept him at home.

Mdhlano had other ideas.

One day, he slipped away and followed his peers to school.

“I sneaked into class and chose a random place to sit because I wanted to see what happened at school and perhaps confirm all the exciting classroom stories I had heard,” he recalled.

“When the teacher entered, I felt a chill down my spine. She noticed the fear in my eyes, approached me calmly and started a friendly conversation.”

Instead of sending him home, the teacher approached his parents and urged them to enrol him.

That intervention changed his life.

Mdhlano went on to post strong results at Grade Seven, although his parents again struggled to secure him a Form One place.

He eventually moved from Mberengwa to Bulawayo, where he attended Luveve High School for his Ordinary Level before proceeding to Founders High School for Advanced Level.

After leaving school, he worked briefly as a temporary teacher before joining the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ).

“I could not stay long in teaching because of restrictions related to my disability, so I moved to NRZ,” he said.

“During my first days there, my superiors also had reservations about my condition.

“With time, everything changed for the better. I worked there for more than three decades and eventually rose to a managerial position before retiring in 2024.”

Long before his retirement, Mdhlano had begun helping people in the community where he grew up.

He used part of his savings to buy stationery and other provisions for struggling families, hoping to help children remain in school.

Retirement has allowed him to spend more time in Mberengwa and brought him closer to the problems confronting young people.

He says financial hardship is forcing some boys and girls out of school, while teenage pregnancy and early marriage have cut short the education of others.

Poor rains have deepened poverty in the area, leaving many families with few options. Mdhlano also worries about the threat posed by drug and substance abuse.

For him, organised sport is one practical place to begin.

“I want the best for this community, and I believe sport can help,” he said. “Financially, I do not have much, but I will take it one day at a time and try to make a positive impact.

“If sponsors could assist with money or building materials for the facility, I would be happy to work with them.”

Among those hoping the project will succeed is Stella Mhizha, who left school while in Form Two in 2023 and is now a single mother of two.

After the father of her children left in early 2025, Mhizha began searching for an opportunity to rebuild her life.

She believes the proposed facility could give her and other young people a chance to take up sport.

“I dropped out of school in 2023 when I was in Form Two, and I am now a single mother of two,” she said.

“Without a strong educational background, I am determined to take up sport.

“I follow women’s football and know about the Mighty Warriors. It is my dream to get there one day, and this could be an opportunity for me and other young people in this community.”

Turning Mdhlano’s plan into a functioning centre will require money, building materials and wider community support.

But he is prepared to begin with what he has.

As a boy, one teacher found him sitting in a classroom and chose not to send him home. That decision carried him through school and into a career spanning more than three decades.

“My life changed because of well-wishers,” Mdhlano said. “Now I need to give back too.”