Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
NOVEMBER 7, 2024, will remain a sombre day for the Nyangani High School community.
What was meant to be an exciting school trip to Magamba Vocational Training Centre turned tragic when a promising young boy, Trevor Muhombe, lost his life, while several others were injured.
One of the injured learners was 14-year-old Tadiwanashe Mushambadzi from Juliasdale, who was just days away from celebrating her 15th birthday.
Her situation is heart-breaking.
She is, not only dealing with physical pain, but also the fear of losing her dreams of becoming a doctor.
She requires surgeries, corrective osteotomy pelvis and open reduction and internal fixation pelvis, crucial for her recovery, but the cost is prohibitively expensive, at US$12 000.
Her mother’s efforts to raise the funds are a testament to her love and dedication, but it is a daunting task.
Tadiwanashe’s future hangs in the balance, and one cannot help, but hope that she receives the help she needs to recover and pursue her dreams.
In an interview with The Manica Post, Ms Juliet Mudowaya vividly recalls the day of the accident that changed her daughter’s life forever.
As a single mother of four, she was busy running her vending stall when fellow vendors broke the news of the school bus accident near Selbourne.
Her instincts kicked in, and she immediately called the school, only to confirm her worst fears — Tadiwanashe was hospitalised at Bonda Mission Hospital.
Now, she is facing the daunting task of raising funds for her daughter’s life-changing surgery.
“I thought she would be okay, but when they transferred her to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, I knew something was terribly wrong. When I finally saw her, at first I thought she was dead. The state she was in was unbearable, but my daughter is a fighter,” said Ms Mudowaya, her voice trembling with emotions.
After over a month in the hospital, she was discharged on December 20, still in immense pain and unable to walk.
The school’s kindness in providing a wheelchair has been a small comfort, but her condition remains critical.
Recently, a well-wisher connected them with a private orthopaedic and trauma surgeon in Harare, who revealed the severity of her injuries.
The accident shattered her pelvis into pieces, and the only way for her to regain mobility is through two complex surgeries — Corrective Osteotomy Pelvis and Open Reduction and Internal Fixation Pelvis.
These procedures will realign and stabilise her bones using screws and plates, but the cost is a staggering US$12 000 — a daunting hurdle for Tadiwanashe and her family.
“I stopped vending to take care of her in hospital. I have no means to raise that kind of money. We stay in a one-room apartment, and she needs me 24/7. She cannot go to the toilet on her own. She is either silent or crying, and I suspect that she is depressed by her situation.
“Tadiwanashe never used to be like that — always a happy girl. She used to play netball in the school main team, and was a key member of many clubs. She keeps asking me if she will ever walk or play netball again. I have managed to keep her hope alive, saying the community will rally behind and help us,” Ms Mudowaya said, wiping away tears.
Tadiwanashe’s mother, despite her despair, holds on to hope.
“My daughter survived the accident for a reason. Maybe this is her testimony. Maybe her story will touch the hearts of some people out there who will help her get back on her feet. We hope that we will get help, and she will have the corrective surgeries performed soon. I appeal to anyone willing to assist us to come forward. No donation is small, all we need is Tadiwanashe to get better,” she said.
Before the accident, Tadiwanashe was a beacon of light at Nyangani High School.
A straight-A learner, and netball team’s dependable centre, she was adored by her peers and teachers alike.
Her headmaster, Mr William Munyau, described her as “one of our top scorers, always in the first class.”
“We are doing everything we can as a school to help her. Her friends managed to raise US$80, which is a small fraction of what she needs. We appeal to anyone who can, to help this angel live her dream of becoming a doctor.
“The school has managed to buy her a wheelchair, which she has been using since December 2024, but we want her to walk again or at least have the corrective surgeries performed. Right now she is in a lot of pain, and all we can do is appeal to the public to help Tadiwanashe get back to her normal life and realise her dream,” he said.
Mr Munyau said Tadiwanashe’s future hangs in the balance, but with collective support, she can get the life-saving surgeries she desperately needs.
“Tadiwanashe’s fight is far from over, but with compassion and generosity, the community can help her stand again. As a community, we can give her the chance to return to school, chase her dreams, and one day become the doctor she longs to be. Every dollar counts, and every act of kindness brings her closer to healing. Let us come together and give this young girl her future back,” he said.
For Tadiwanashe, each day is a battle.
She lies in bed, staring at the roof, her mind racing with worries.
“I want to go back to school. This accident is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Imagine being bedridden for three months, always feeling pain in your legs. I cannot endure this anymore. I just wish that someone will help me, as I know my mother will not be able to raise that kind of money. She is a single mom of four surviving on selling apples and tomatoes,” she whispered, her voice weak because of pain.
Tadiwanashe dreams of the life she had before the accident, running on the netball court, laughing with peers, and working hard to achieve her goal of one day wearing a doctor’s coat.
“I miss school. I really do because I want to be a doctor. I cannot be one while lying on this bed at home. I have always wanted to be a doctor. The accident fuelled my desire to be a doctor. I need to save lives. The pain that I am going through has given me more fire-power to become a doctor. We need more doctors to save lives. Please help me,” she said tears streaming down her face.
Donations towards Tadiwanashe’s surgery can be made through Nyangani High School’s AFC Nostro Account (Nyangani High School, Account Number: 100005190724, Nyanga Branch) or via Ecocash using the school’s biller code: 263262.
For more information or to verify the donation process, people can contact the school head, Mr William Munyau, on +263775204605. Alternatively, well-wishers can send donations directly to Tadiwanashe’s mother, Ms Juliet Mudowaya’s Ecocash number: +263776491088.
Online Reporter