Foreign “orphans” show where there is a will, there is always a way

The circumstances in which you grow up do not have to limit you from achieving your goals in life, as long as you remain positive and focused. This was proven again by three young Zimbabwean men who defied the odds and are now studying for degrees at universities.

Tatenda*, Dumisani* and Terrence* lost their parents when they were young and were looked after by extended family members, who seemingly did not care for them as they should have.

The three had decided to come to South Africa in their early teens and lived on the streets of Musina, until they arrived at the Matswale boys’ shelter, run by the Christian Women Ministries (CWM) in Musina. Even though they faced some challenges, they all managed to pass matric and registered to study for degrees at the Turfloop Campus of the University of Limpopo in Polokwane. Today, these young men are progressing very well with their studies.

Save the Children (SC), a child-oriented global NGO, was with them every step of the way to help with school uniforms and stationery, and intervened whenever they had problems to register in schools, for which they say they are very thankful.

Tatenda said that most of the children who lived on the streets seem to have lost hope of earning a decent income and cater for themselves. “First thing is to accept your situation, so that you can get the necessary energy to work around it,” is his advice. “Remain positive and focussed and you will always achieve something.”

Tatenda came to South Africa at the age of 13. Before that, he was cared for by family members who did not allow him to go to school. “This situation really irked me, and I decided to leave home and fend for my own life. I had to do casual jobs all the way until I arrived in South Africa in 2010,” he told Limpopo Mirror. Tatenda was motivated when he saw other children who lived at the shelter go to school. Though it was hard, given his circumstances, he passed matric in 2016 and is currently studying for his BSc degree in applied chemistry.

Dumisani took his chance to come to South Africa when he was 11 years old, as a number of other teens in his rural community back home often did. “I was motivated by my friends who regularly came to South Africa. Most of them were orphans, so they had to fend for themselves. In 2009, I joined them on their journey to South Africa. We ended up at the Musina show grounds, but later moved to a shelter offered by the CWM,” he said. “I had mixed feelings; I had to decide whether I was going to do casual work or go to school, but I ultimately ended up devoting my time to school.” Dumisani is now studying for a degree in computer science and believes he is a product of the community. He wants to encourage other children who face similar situations that he went through to remain focused and not lose hope.

Terrence, who is studying for a degree in business management, had come to South Africa under much the same circumstances in 2011, when he was 14 years old. “I met a few young boys my age at the CWM shelter in Musina, and they were talking about schooling. I fell in love with the idea. The following year (2012), I registered for Grade 7,” said Terrence, and from there on he worked his way forward, towards his goals.

These young men set a very important example to other young people in our communities - that where there is a will, there is a way.

*Not their real names.

News - Date: 14 March 2021

Bernard Chiguvare

Bernard Chiguvare is a Zimbabwean-born journalist. He writes mainly for the online publication, Groundup.

Email: [email protected]