Gratitude Challenge Day 5. So today i am grateful for my name Nyaradzo, it means Comfort in English, Mduduzi in Sindebele. Everything that i talk about my life is stemming from this particular name, Nyaradzo. My father passed away when my mother was around 6/7 months my pregnancy. It changed everything. My mother then named me Nyaradzo so i would comfort her and other people i guess. Now names have a direct bearing sometimes, especially in my situation. As i would grow up i always thought to defend and comfort others i think, particularly when i was in the Primary and High School. When i was in Grade 7 Primary School i remember i had a friend who stayed with her step mom, the step mom would demand that my friend wakes up early and cleans up before travelling more than 5km to our school. By the time she reached School we would have completed writing the Maths paper, and we will be going through marking and the teacher would spank according to the fails,(wairohwa yawafa) and my dear friend because the test would be out of 50, she would be spanked all the way! Until one day i stood to my teacher and explained my friends home situation, from that day, the teacher started being patient with my friend, allowing her to write the test even after everyone, and him and his wife generally started supporting the girl. Unfortunately she didnt do well in her grade 7 and she went away. Then enter High School where i saw girls my age get married early, well some who were smarter than i was dropped out of school to get married to older man from the city, this for most of it was lack of exposure to know that they could actually come up with their own lives. I also witnessed some guys bully girls and more than one girl falling for the same guy and i vowed never to date at school! Then a teacher wrote a letter in my geography book proposing love, that was the biggest dilemma of my life that ive ever had to deal with. I dint know what to do. First of all i was so outraged that this teacher thought i would be one of the girls who would fall for him simply because he is a teacher, and at the same time i would forfeit my future(as most girls who dated teachers ended up pregnant and rejected and left school) simply because a geography teacher wanted me for that short time, i thought hard, i couldnt tell anyone. I thought of my mother, now you have to realise that the ground was not level, where i come from sometimes the tables can turn on you, it might actually be said to be your fault that a teacher proposed love to you. I was afraid, very afraid of this. I thought of telling the school head but the school head would probably make it nasty and call my mother, who knows what would happen? Well God helped me make a great decision, i took that book with the letter, straight to the School Heads Office(probably the only time i went to his office for i was very afraid of him, it turns out i work with the school heads daughter now..hahaha). At the school heads office i was extremely terrified but had to report my case, and said i found a letter in my geo book and my teacher wrote it. That was the end of the case, i never heard about it ever, Until the day i went to launch https://facebook/Tagalife.TaLI 15 years later at my former school. For some reason the MC was that particular teacher and he shared his testimony of my Activism during my school days of reporting him to the school heard, and ofcourse he said he was very young then just after completing his teacher training. But Fast forward 6years later, i was discussing with my former boss during one of our relaxed chats and he asked me what i wanted to do with the degree that i was going through that time. I told him that (because i had already started my musical career) i would like to develop my business concepts, market my clothing labels, Coffee Shops etc and then at some point in life, start an NGO for girls cause i am very passionate about girls. I told him when i have made so much money, i will then go to the rural communities and sing for girls and give them inspiration among other issues. That was around 2003/4. He then told me that sinse you are passionate about girls, you should look for Betty Makoni she will help you. By then i had no clue who she was! Anyways fate had it then at some point i worked for Betty for a season and the rest is history. Back to my name, so i learnt a lot from other initiatives, and i realised from my own experience in school that boys needed to be part of the equation, the parents too(a story for another day)! And hense the founding of TaLI. Well i never knew it would be sooner than later! When i look at my life, i can only thank God for all the experiences and challenges, and especially for my name, because i now believe and live it, i am born to bless other people, i am born to bring Comfort to others, especially girls and women, i am born to encourage others while i encourage myself. Yesterday i didnt mention the women who have helped me as i have been exploring the mission of the name Nyaradzo, i meant to do it today. In this my path and my Comfort, My Nyaradzo Yangu :), I am eternally grateful to the women who held my hand once i was done growing up! Today i mean to be grateful for all the women whove received me when all i had was a passion, when i knew nothing about development work, my story and my life resembles that scripture that says The Lord qualifies the Called, not the other way round! I am grateful for women and man such as Rebecca Zeigler ManoBeatrice SavadyeSharon Hudson-DeanJillian BonnardeauxTendai NgwaraiSheila MaposaVivian PabwaunganaBecky MahlungeNetsai Mushonga-MazvidzaNyasha SengayiTino HondoTinga Fortue BrownFrancisca Pabgaungana MarerwaNyasha Felistas DzimiriLucia NkomoGumie Mutamba SnrNyaradzayi GumbonzvandaVaChinjanja MaiBanks Gouveia MuroroEdna MukurazhizhaRanga Rutendo ChikonzoPresdio Madzudzo Mapfumo Caroline Mudara Sorry if i left you out. These women held my hand, said a word of encouragement, believed in me, showed me kindness when i was lost, showed me the ropes, listened, assisted me, sponsored me, mentored me, had you not been kind to me with whatever you did, i wouldnt have made it. I wouldnt be here, so today, i am grateful for the name Nyaradzo, that is my life, it is by Gods grace that i have a purpose to stand for the girls, the women and humanity at large. On the same note, i really am grateful for my church which groomed me, even though the desire has always been there, the grooming and equipping by @Tom Deuschle and the morning prayer team is forever cherished in my life. I love doing it with everything that i am and that i have, i am grateful for everything that happened to allow me to have the name and life called Nyaradzo. Today i end my Gratitude challenge, i have also had a lot of inboxes being inspired by this challenge. Dear friend if i didnt tag you in this post, please take up the challenge still, and see how you will reflect on your own life. #This has been too long but i think its worth it!
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 21:09:14 +0000
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