Zimbabwe's Story
Byron Mashora
My name is Byron. I was born on the 12th of January 1988, in the rural areas of Makoni District in Rusape. I am one of two children, me and my young brother, Fidelity. I am the eldest. My brother was born in 1991 in Old Highfield in Harare.
My father was a soldier in the Zimbabwe National Army and my mother was a Research Officer with Chinyaradzo Childrens Home for the University of Zimbabwe. I never had the privilege to live with both parents as I was taken to live with my grandmother at the age of three. I grew up in Highfield and that is where I attended my primary and secondary education. My father died before I got to know him better and can only remember him through pictures. At that time I was doing Grade 1 at school in 1994. He died of cardio-pulmonary arrest. At that time it never touched me as I did not know much of what was going on. After my fathers death my mother and young brother came to join me at my grandmothers. We managed to get by using my fathers pension for that time and my mothers income from work.
My mother could afford looking after us as she was working but it was not for long as she fell sick in 2003. She got worse as she was being nursed at home. I remember the very day she was taken to hospital by ambulance was the very day she died. The day before she was taken to hospital she told me to work hard at school or life would be tough for me. I think she know that she dying. It was in same year, 2003, when I was in Form 3. I soon learnt to take a mothering role over my younger brother Fidelity. Things became difficult but we managed to go to school using my fathers pension. I finished my ordinary levels in 2004 while my brother was in Form 1. We were staying in Highfield with my mothers relatives as my fathers relatives had disappeared soon after my fathers death and we still dont know where they are.
I proceeded to A Levels in 2005, but dropped out of school due to lack of school fees as the pension money was not enough for both me and my brother. I decided to drop out of school to allow my young brother, Fidelity to continue with school. Most people started saying that I should find a job. I joined a group were we were making candles and floor polish. With that money I managed to pay for the last term (3 months) of my first year doing A Levels. The job was hard work and I had to balance school work on top of it. The hardest time I had is when I worked for a whole week without rest, day and night to meet an order. By the end of 2005 the project had collapsed due to mismanagement of funds by some of the members. This experience made me stronger and taught me to persevere in life. After loosing the job, I dropped out of school again as I could not pay the fees. It was a tough experience as I spent the whole year at home. I was introduced to the youth group Tariro Tabarana by Mrs Mutasa when they had visited my brother. My brother had joined Tabarana and I noticed a change in him. I went back to school with the help of income from Tabarana projects. I managed to finish my A Levels although it was tough because I had to catch up with the studies I had missed. This was a real turning point in my life.
I thank God because knowing him has made me strong. I have coped with my mum and dads death and being thrown about in this world as an orphan, in and our of school. Myself and Fidelity continued to pray for Gods strength and deliverance in our lives, even though the going was tough. I was baptized and Confirmed in the Anglican Church at St Pauls, Highfield.
In 2008, Carl was able to find some funds in England to pay for a course in accounting, which is a distance learning course, based in Scotland. Father Nicolas has also helped find some more fees this year so I can complete the course.
I can say that, despite being immersed in all these difficulties and challenges, I have come to realize that with God everything is possible. Everything is done in his strength, not by ourselves. The biggest challenge of all is learning to forgive and love myself enough so I can begin to forgive and love others.
E-mail
Phone No.
carlmelville@hotmail.com
nstebbing@mirfield.org.uk
07951491211