Online Reporter
THERE is a certain kind of calm that settles into a room when Gina Nyamanhindi walks in.
It is not loud or dramatic. It is steady. Grounded. The kind of presence that makes people feel like, for a moment, they can set their burdens down and breathe.
We meet in a warm, sunlit office, where the atmosphere feels less like a workplace and more like a safe space.
The chairs are pulled a little closer than usual. Conversations here are not rushed. They unfold.
And at the centre of it all is Gina, approachable and composed, with strength that does not need to announce itself.
She carries herself with unmistakable professionalism, anchored by strength, and beneath it all lies a profound and genuine compassion that shapes everything she does.
At Nyaradzo, counselling is not an afterthought. It is a cornerstone.
Gina has been part of that journey, helping shape a service that reaches far beyond the walls of the organisation.
As she explains, Nyaradzo has always been intentional about staying ahead of need, not just responding to it.
The counselling service, first introduced in 2009 through the “Let’s Talk About It with Sahwira Mukuru” radio programme, opened doors that had long been closed in many communities.
“It gave people the opportunity to talk about issues that are normally viewed as taboo,” she explains.
What began as a platform for conversation has since grown into a lifeline for both clients and staff, offered freely as part of Nyaradzo’s commitment to community well-being.”
Grief is often most visible at the funeral. But Gina gently shifts that perspective.
“In Shona we say, ‘Nhamo inotanga panoparara vanhu (Loss begins when everyone has gone home)’,” she says.
It is a powerful truth.
When the tents come down, when the last visitor leaves, when the phone stops ringing, that is when reality settles in.
The silence grows heavier. The absence becomes louder.
That is where Gina’s work begins.
Counselling, she explains, helps families navigate that long road of adjustment.
Not just the emotional weight of loss, but the complications that come with it: relationships (even unfinished business with the deceased), unanswered questions . . . the why, how, what next? This even includes practical matters that quietly unravel in the background, for example, family dynamics.
Her role is not to rush that process, but to walk alongside it.
“To allow people to grieve at their own pace,” she says, “while knowing someone appreciates what they are going through, teaching them to be kind and be patient with themselves.”
There is a rare balance in Gina’s approach.
She is direct. Grounded. Clear.
But never cold.
Her philosophy is simple and powerful: Everyone needs a safe space to talk.
“We all need to sit down with a professional at some point in our lives,” she says. “It helps us see things differently.”
That belief shapes every interaction. Whether she is guiding a grieving family, supporting a colleague or simply listening, Gina brings both structure and softness into the room, even some hard truths if needed.
It is perhaps why people remember her words long after the session ends.
“Being there for someone when they are down is the greatest gift God has given me,” she reflects.
In a role that carries so much emotional weight, one question quietly lingers: Who supports the one who supports everyone else?
Gina answers this with the same clarity she brings to her work.
“A therapist needs their own therapist,” she says.
It is a principle she has carried since her training in 2004.She leans on her own support systems, from professional supervision and to the simple, necessary act of stepping away and resetting.
“Taking time off, travelling and appreciating nature, allowing yourself to rest,” she says, “that is important.”
Within Nyaradzo, she is also supported by the leadership that checks in consistently, reinforcing a culture where care extends inwards, not just outwards.
What Gina represents is bigger than her role.
It is a reflection of an organisation that understands that service does not end with logistics. It extends into the emotional and psychological well-being of the people it serves.
Counselling, she explains, works hand in hand with every department. Morticians, drivers, sales teams, management, all connected by a shared purpose.
As these officials deal with both internal and external clients, they also refer cases to the counselling department.
“It is a support system,” she says.
And it is one that continues long after the funeral has ended.
As Nyaradzo moves beyond its 25-year milestone, Gina’s vision is both practical and deeply human.
She hopes to see counselling services expanded across all major centres. She envisions support groups for widows, widowers and children navigating loss.
Spaces where people are not just helped, but held.
To describe Gina simply as hardworking would not be enough.
Yes, she is dedicated. Tireless in her commitment. Focused and disciplined in everything she does.
But she is also something more.
She is approachable, the kind of person people feel they can talk to without hesitation. She is strong, carrying the weight of many stories without losing her own centre.
She is firm, unafraid to guide people towards truth, even when it is difficult.
And she is full of love, the kind that does not need to be spoken loudly to be felt deeply.
In a world that often rushes past pain, Gina chooses to sit with it.
To listen.
To guide.
To help others find their way back to themselves.
And in doing so, she reminds us of something simple, yet profound: Healing does not always come in grand gestures.
Sometimes, it comes in a quiet room, a steady voice, and someone who is willing to stay and listen.
