WHO AM I?

CHILDHOOD ACCIDENTS

Accidents are part of childhood dramas when growing up, from slashing my knee when I knelt on broken glass to many more which I cannot go into detail about right now. I will do a sneak peek into one accident that I think is pertinent lest I might boast that I am here because of my own doing. I am a living testimony of being through the water, literally. I was picked up by a lady from the neighborhood when I had accidentally drowned in a large bucket of water in which I was washing some tomatoes and mangoes for vending on our homemade stall. Here I am today with a voice telling all stories which are in my mouth but in God’s mind. I am a survivor who came out of the water literally, I can still remember what I saw on that day. I can walk with you on that journey but, that is not for today, keep watch I will eventually tell you the story in one of the books so keep your eyes and ears out for that book when it comes.

I thrive on creating environments of empowerment where people can understand that creative power is within them, in man’s thought (human thought).

SCHOOL

From the time I went into nursery school I loved it by the time I went into grade one I was in love. I loved writing stories, in Shona and English but English was not my strength. I loved Maths and Content. You might be asking me what Content was, it was that subject which had everything, Geography, history, environment, how things work, and Home Economics where we used to sew, knit, bake and cook. I loved all things at school and the season of self-discovery that it was, not forgetting the cooking lessons and sessions that involved everyone, boys and girls alike. In secondary school subjects would be split into individual subjects as follows: Science and integrated; Science; Physics; Organic Chemistry; Mathematics; Shona; English; Religious Education; Geography and Home Economics; and I loved History and Music but they didn’t last for the 4 years in Secondary school. Science and integrated; Science; Physics; Organic Chemistry and Mathematics made me start thinking about medicine and the environment. I wanted to become a medical doctor, I am still working on that, ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!

CAREER, JOB, AND MISSION

I would describe myself as a child of the soil, who is passionate about global health, I am a creator, a writer, an author, a believer, a conscious Christian counselor, a visionary, an entrepreneur, humanitarian, philanthropist.

I worked as a nurse and midwife in Africa and emigrated to the United Kingdom where I worked in the field of nursing. I am a specialist public health practitioner, I look after the health and safety, the physical and mental well-being of workers at work. It is an amazing experience where I interact with a diverse range of people as well as learn from their experiences. My passion is in human issues, children's education, freedom, and creativity. I also love understanding inner health, inner beauty, women’s and men’s health, and wellbeing; youth without boundaries nor genders; pre-courtship, courtship relationships, and pre-marital counseling and marriage coaching; children issues for example; infertility, child development, education, nutrition, safe environment, and safe public transport. In a nutshell, my passion is people, relationships, physical and mental wellbeing and, personal growth.

I thrive on creating environments of empowerment where people can understand that creative power is within them, in man’s thought (human thought).

VISION

Eradication of inequalities in children’s health and education by building schools and creative HUBS thus opening creativity in children, youths, and adults instead of relying on academic gifting only. I thrive on creating environments of empowerment where people can understand that creative power is within them, in man’s thought (human thought). My certificate in Christian counseling helps me serve as a facilitator of human interaction to foster meaningful social and work relationships through introspection, reflection, and examination of thought processes. I believe that God’s plan and purpose for my life include working with the nurturers of children to create emotionally intelligent human beings who are going to build great social and work relationships so that they become leaders who can move nations to the liberation of the mind and that creates self-sufficient nations. Create writers and authors by building a publishing platform that coaches those voices who have stories to say and walk with them to realize their dreams. Empowering and equipping all humans to understand that they have a purpose in serving others from the gifts within themselves.

I want to grow people who are environment conscious, in utilizing the land, the rivers and replenish the land with trees which are good for their communities, dredge rivers so that they keep flowing, and work with experts who know how we keep siltation at bay as well as keep fish and river inhabitants safe in the rivers so that generations can enjoy their heritage for many more generations to come. I envisage schools that employ the children and the communities in looking after their environment, use their schools as their source of food, employment as well as skill. As a Coach, I am a Kingdom-conscious coach who allows people to examine their thought processes, have a relationship with their thoughts, and train themselves to positively create peace within themselves from their existence as this filters into the family, communities, tribes, countries, and nations. My books are all relationships and human experience-based.

FOOD - UKAMA IGASVA

I love my food. There is a Shona proverb that reads; "ukama igasva hunozadziswa nekudya", this means relationships are fulfilled by sharing food. When people look at me they think that I eat junk food because I am a full woman but, I don’t eat junk food. I don’t drink fizzy drinks or any canned food. I love to cook food afresh, I love boiled, roasted Cassava or chips. I enjoy African sweet potatoes in their different colors, the purple one with a deep yellow middle, the white skin white inside, the purple skin with yellow inside, the purple skin with white inside.

There are so many varieties of sweet potatoes and I can roast them on wood, they taste amazing, I can boil them, they are so sweet, can make a mashed with butter, the taste is heavenly or creamed in cream the taste is silky smooth. Don’t make the African potatoes into chips because it does not come out nice. I love types of fish starting with Chambo a Malawian Tilapia fish and a Zimbabwean Tilapia fish from the Kariba Dam (roasted), the Kariba bream and bottlenose fish both stewed on a bed of banana leaves or lemongrass; the Nyanga Trout, a Zimbabwean fish roasted served with fresh-cut potato chips. The rest of the fish should be served with Sumu which is like a sauce with onions, shallots, tomatoes, hot pepper Nsima or sadza (Maize meal thick porridge), with cooked beans and rapeseed leaves on the side fried with onions and tomatoes.

Then more of my starch would come from Kilombero Malawi brown rice, white rice sparingly; Zimbabwean red rice with Zimbabwean peanut butter, and Cassava flour Nsima only on my Malawian heritage side. Then come to the meats which are, beef, cow foot, trotters, cow and goat tripe guru and matumbu; oxtail, lamb shoulder diced, goat meat curried with herbs, spices a pinch heat from Tsabola or Mhiripiri which is a hot pepper all slow-cooked in a clay pot (hadyana). Then I love to make pork the way my father loves his pork shoulder, roasted over burning coals marinated in lemon and Tsabola and serve it with Nsima. There are dishes which people think are poor people’s meals which I grew up having and I love them till today and these are:

• Nsima with okra cooked with tomatoes, red and hot peppers. Sliced okra cooked slowly with a pinch of bicarbonate, with red and yellow peppers and tomatoes, stirring slowly to break the pieces down.
• Nsima and dried matemba (these are little fish that are dried, that look like anchovies). The tiny fish are soaked in boiled water to remove excess salt which was used on drying them and also to soften them, a little oil in the pan is heated up and fry them with onion and tomatoes with a pinch of Tsabola.
• Sadza and Madora (Mopane worms), the recipe is more or less the Nsima and dried matemba because the Madora are dried. The difference is you have to boil them until they become soft. I boil them with blended tomatoes and oil and then when they are soft I will then put a little butter and onion with some Tsabola and red peppers.
• Sadza and hodzeko, amasi or mage is cultured fermented milk which is set like Greek yogurt. When cows are milked the milk is divided into what you want to do with the milk, fresh for tea, and the other milk is put in a clay pot, the pot is placed somewhere where warmth is. You can place cow dung under the pot because cow dung generates slow heat and that warms the clay pot which means over a couple of days the milk will be curdling until the milk separates. The brine from the curdled milk has a flavor and as children, we were given that to drink. But the curdled milk can be used as an accompaniment to sadza. If this process is prolonged more water is lost leading it to harden and that can become simple village cheese.

I thrive on creating environments of empowerment where people can understand that creative power is within them, in man’s thought (human thought).

HOBBIES

As a young girl, I loved to write stories and I was an avid reader. I read a lot of books like The Famous Five and The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton graduating as I grew into Pacesetters African books learning about the West African landscape and interested in one day being able to see these people. I also read widely on Zimbabwean Shona books I won’t remember off head but Mabvumira Enhetembo was a great book which I loved, one of the Poems in it described a sleepless night caused by a mosquito in a way I still remember to today these were a collection of nhetembo which you could call poems or odes. Mutinhimira wedetembo by Cuthbert Musiwa; then novels like Kurukura hunge wapotswa by Edward W. Kaugare; Kusasana Kunoparira by Mordecai A. Hamutyinei; Ndiko Kupindana kwaMazuva by Charles Mungoshi; Kumazivandadzoka by J. W. Marangwanda; Tambaoga Mwanangu by Giles Kuimba and I didn’t list those I read as part of my Shona literature reading list. The list of readings was endless and the only book I ever read in Chewa was a book that belonged to my father titled; Nzeru za kale by Stevenson L. Kumakanga. I am in the process of looking for one because my father’s book disappeared but it is a great book of Chewa proverbs that taught me a lot about the Chewa language. As I continue to expand my reading list I started reading romance novels, I even tried writing my own romance novel, I am sure that one day I will come across that manuscript, as I became a nurse I started reading doctor nurse romance in Mills and Boon, James Hadley Chase are novels which were not allowed in school but would always find them with students and they were great adventure for me, crime, murder, and sex was an interesting thought-provoking read.

They gave me an imaginary knowledge of countries afar I had never been to. When I wanted to hear about the dull, dreary weather of the English countryside with wealth, nobility, and poverty I would read Catherine Cookson novels and as I started getting more exposure to movies I watched a TV series which was titled; “A Woman of substance” by Barbara Taylor Bradford so I started looking for her books. I had started seeing the world more on-screen, started reading the Danielle Steele novels as well, and many more. I started selecting what I read according to what I wanted to achieve and learn from it mostly, hardworking and that gender was not supposed to hold me back. I started getting motivational materials and bought the Oprah Magazine which I enjoyed reading from page to page and getting inspiration. I enjoyed and still love, sewing, crocheting, and knitting. When my father used to cut out trousers I used to watch and I still want to take that up when I have more time, cutting, tailoring, and dressmaking. I made sofa covers in cross-stitching an art and all embroidery patterns which made me money as I sold all these crafts. I enjoyed making table cloths, crocheted bedspreads, and knitted cabled cardigans. I used to design and knit dolls, toilet paper holders, decorative birds, and decorated children's shoes and socks, winter gloves, berets, beret caps, hats, and scarfs.