When patience paves the way out of despair

Tadious Manyepo
Youth Interactive Correspondent
AT 24, Dianarose Chinyai from Chipinge has had to grapple with the reality of seeing her former classmates, most of whom she outperformed at ordinary level back in 2013 living luxuriously with top jobs.

She would have made a move but her dream was to one day enrol for a university degree.

With a poor single mother to look up to, Chinyai decided to wait patiently for an elder sibling, Delight to finish her tertiary education with the hope that she would then help her enrol for advanced level.

“I was raised by a single mother who was too poor to send all of us to school. My aunt in Bulawayo is the one who paid my tuition at secondary school at Munda School,” she said.

“After I came out with flying colours, my hope was to go for advanced level. But then some complications arose. I went back to Chipinge to live with my mother.

“Between 2013 and 2019, I was helping out my mother in the fields and we then raised some significant money for me to enrol for advanced level.”

Probably Chinyai would have been married had she succumbed to peer pressure, given the rural district she comes from.

Then two years ago, Dianarose enrolled at Herentals Chipinge.

“I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve in my life. I worked so hard and burnt the midnight oil. It was difficult you know, given the rust I had accumulated in the six years I was out of school. But eventually, things began to shape up.”

She then set for the ZIMSEC examinations in 2020 and scored 18 points.

“I am happy I managed to score 18 points at Advanced Level. I was already looking for a job since I knew my mother and sister Delight who occasionally helped me at Advanced Level wouldn’t be able to foot university bills.”

“You know what it is like and how it feels. Seeing my former classmates at O Level becoming successful in life while I was tilling the fields made me drop a tear.

“But, I kept on praying and I am grateful for achieving the feat I attained at Advanced Level.

“My only hope was to find a job then enrol for a university degree in which I would be paying at my own.”

While she was still contemplating, the Innocent Dambudzo Patience Benza Foundation, whose patron is Dr Innocent Benza who is the Group Chief Executive for the Herentals Group of Schools and Colleges learnt of her story.

She has since been adopted by the foundation which has committed to pay her tuition for a Law Degree at the University of Zimbabwe.  which has awarded her a full-scholarship to enrol for a Law Degree at the University of Zimbabwe.

“Firstly I would like to thank the Innocent Dambudzo Patience Benza scholarship sponsors for offering me a university scholarship to start this year 2021.  I am a determined girl who comes from a poor social background.  I managed to scoop 18 point at A Level under Herentals Chipinge.

“The scholarship will be of great help as it will sponsor my university education which is a great honour. Without this opportunity it was going to be difficult financially single mother cannot afford to pay.

“Herentals Group of Colleges acts as a guardian to us determined students to reach our academic  goals.”

Chinyai is not the only beneficiary of the foundation’s scholarship.

In an interview with The Herald, Dr Benza said it is his wish to bail out students from poor backgrounds to attain their life dreams.

“There is also Dillan Mari who scooped 7As and 3Bs at Herentals Ruwa and he is now doing his “A” levels studies at Herentals Ruwa. Dillan school fees are being catered by the IDPB Scholarship Foundation. Lastly,

“Vannessa Makadzange scooped 8As and 4Bs at Herentals Chitungwiza and she is now doing “A” Level sciences at the Chitungwiza branch.,” said Dr Benza.

Makadzange said enrolling for A Level is a dream come true as her guardians wouldn’t have afforded to pay for the fees.

The Foundation Director, Mr Tafadzwa Benza hosted a zoom meeting early this week with the three beneficiaries.

During the meeting, the foundation Director, Mr Benza said the IDPB scholarship foundation caters for learners who would have excelled in their academics.

“To qualify, one must be an internal learner at the Herentals Group of Colleges and Schools and must have attained at least 7As at “O” Level and / 15 points at “A” Level. Both are considered at one sitting,” said Mr Benza.

Several others have previously benefitted from the initiative with indications more will also benefit in the future.