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CONTENTS 3 - Editorial 4 - Codilia Gapare - Learning to Dance in the Rain 6 - Writer’s Corner The African-Themed Adult Colouring Book by Hennings Masikati
10 - Stories From Around The World Journey of a Cancer Patient: Cruselda Denise Fergus
14 - Cover Feature Carl Joshua Ncube - New Beginnings
19 - Food & Drink Recipes from Carl Can Cook by Carl Joshua Ncube
22 - HoM News 26 - Dumi Senda - Rags to Impact Coach 30 - Feature - Destination Zimbabwe
COVER DESIGNED BY RR CHAWOTA. PICTURE BY CARL JOSHUA NCUBE. ALL MAGAZINE DESIGNS AND LAYOUTS BY RR CHAWOTA Editor In Chief - Rhoda Molife; Creative Design Director - Rodney Rumbidzai Chawota; Chairman - Godwin Chireka; Public Relations Director - Simba Harawa; Social Media Marketing Intern - Noma Zvimu; Public Relations Executive - Vannesa Moosa HOUSE OF MUTAPA PVT LTD is a Registered Trademark. South Africa. Copyright 2021.
Contact - info@houseofmutapa.com
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EDITORIAL
W
elcome to the first HoM issue of 2021. We really hope that this finds you still full of hope despite it all. If you are in a part of the world that is relatively untouched by the effects of COVID19 and the pandemic, please celebrate life fully and for those that aren’t so blessed! This month we’re super excited to feature some great beings. Zimbabwe’s best comedian ever and all round creative, Carl Joshua Ncube, graces our cover and shares his incredible journey from Power Point tech to nurse to comedian to chef to TED speaker and now eco-entrepreneur as he launches a new project and home in rural Zimbabwe. Yup he really is that ‘all-round’! We also chat with global diversity and inclusion expert, motivational speaker and author, Dumi Senda. He speaks about how he turned the experiences of a tough childhood to become an advocate for the under-represented as what he calls a ‘mission-driven entrepreneur’. Our featured author is Hennings Masikati who created the African Themed Adult Colouring Book. He spoke with HoM writer Vannesa Moosa about how he wants his books to help adults remember the fun yet tranquil vibes of childhood and learn about our culture too.
Just a few days ago, our PR Director Simba and I were chatting about some of the things we want to do this year. We talked quite a bit about charitable works. It reminded me that at times like this when we’re going through struggles, as we work through them, it makes sense to help others – not only those who themselves are in a pickle but also those who help those in a pickle. It can kind of help us to see through our own muddy waters! So, we urge you to support two campaigns we feature this month. One is for a mother of two, Cruselda Fergus, who has literally had to travel across the world for cancer treatment. The other was launched by Harvard University student, Chenai Mangachena, to raise funds for her former science teacher in Zimbabwe, Mr Mwadzirerutsa. Mr Mwadzirerutsa developed a tumour on his spine; the money raised so far has funded his surgery and the rest will go towards his ongoing rehabilitation. Listen, even though 2021 looks like it’s going to be a bumpy ride again, go back to the words of our featured entrepreneur, Codilia Gapare – it’s all about ‘Learning to Dance in the Rain.’ Keep head high and keep moving even if every now and again you have to take a minute out! Rhoda Editor-in-Chief
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Learning to
Dance in the Rain
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Cody G
B
y Cody G.
Life never works out quite the way you expect it to. In fact, someone once told me that life is what happens to you while you are busy making plans. This does not always have to be a bad thing because if you open yourself to possibilities, life can take you to places beyond your wildest dreams. My name is Codilia Gapare and in July 2014 I found a lump in my right breast. I immediately made an appointment to have some tests done and was told to come back in ten days for the results. Ten days later was August 11, 2014. The reason I will always remember that day is because I also had another very important meeting that evening, in Manchester. August 11, 2014 became a turning point in my life because of the choices I made. It was the day I chose to dance in the rain instead of waiting for the storm to pass. Before I go any further, let me digress a little. Growing up I had always dreamt of becoming a lawyer. Soon after I came to the UK in 2004, I started preparing to achieve that dream. After three years, I finally had the qualifications I needed to go to university and promptly applied for a place at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). It was on August 11, 2014 that I had my final interview at MMU at 6pm. Life was going according to plan! Now at 2.45pm, just over three hours before my interview, I walked into Leighton Hospital in Crewe to find out the results of my tests. My world went into slow motion when the doctor told me that I had breast cancer. I had somehow managed to persuade myself over the previous ten days that there was no way I could have cancer; I was too young, too black, too skinny and too active for that, but I was wrong. I was now a statistic that no one wanted to be. It is hard to imagine how one would deal with such news. I suppose I would have been forgiven for crying or going home and burying my head under the covers or even going to the pub and drowning my pain in drink. I did none of these things. An hour after receiving the worst news of my life, I was driving from Crewe to Manchester for my interview. Do I know why I made the choice to do so? I have no idea.
viewer asked me if I knew of anything that might interfere with my studies. Had I anticipated the question I am sure I would have lied. However, I was caught off guard and decided to come clean and tell the truth. I told the lady that just three hours before, I had been told that I had breast cancer. It was only when she asked me why I still came did I understand my actions. This is what I told her. ‘For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to be a lawyer. Today I received news that can potentially derail my dream, but I have worked too hard to get to this point. Cancer is just a chapter in my book and is never going to define me, but this moment will. So if it’s all the same with you, I would be grateful if you could give me a chance to follow my dream’. Why am I telling you this story? Because I hope it inspires you. I’ve realised that life comes without guarantees. Sometimes we win and sometimes we learn. But whatever the situation, we always, always have a choice. Accept or fight, be optimistic or pessimistic, be a victim or a survivor. And at any point you have the right to stop and say, ‘This is not how my story is going to end!’ Every day is a chance to start afresh - be it to change the course of your life or to continue a fight. And if an obstacle is thrown in your way, well, why not turn it into a steppingstone? Codilia Gapare created the C-Lash, a strip lash with a clear self-adhesive band attached to it that increases stability and made especially for those who have lost their eye lashes. She invented the product after losing her lashes due to the chemotherapy she received for her cancer in 2014. C-Lash is manufactured by Eyelure and retails in Boots, Walgreens in the US and at www.falseeyelashes.co.uk In 2019, Codilia and C-Lash were nominated for nine awards winning six including a National Diversity Award for Entrepreneur of Excellence and an Enterprise Vision Award. In 2020, she has been nominated for four awards, winning one.
The interview went really well until the interHOUSE OF MUTAPA
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WRITER’S CORNER
The African-Themed Adult Colouring Book by
Hennings Masikati HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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B
y Vannesa Moosa vannesach@gmail.com
Most people would think that spending hours colouring is for children only, right? Well, think again. With the commitments and responsibilities that we face as adults, any opportunity for self-care, ‘me time’ or ‘time out’ is welcome. ln the last few years, child’s play – literally - has been touted as a perfect means of escape from the pressures of ‘adulting’. Opening up a pack of crayons or colouring pens and unleashing one’s creativity onto a colouring book has been shown to come with countless benefits including improved focus and sleep and less stress and anxiety. Colouring can really bring a great deal of relief for the mind as it can allow adults to escape to the carefree and creative days of childhood.
BENEFITS OF COLOURING Reduces: Stress Anxiety Improves:
nings Wiriranai Masikati, entered the scene. After first publishing an African-themed colouring book for children, Hennings thought why not do the same for adults. “I decided to make an adult colouring book to take the adult back into that creative fun vibe that they had growing up. This book helps relieve stress as it uses art therapy techniques or colouring-in patterns which is very big overseas. It has a touch of an African element to promote our culture and beliefs too.”
motor skills vision sleep focus The trend for adult colouring books has spread globally, with some even popping up on bestseller lists. In 2018, The African Themed Adult Colouring Book by Zimbabwean-based author, artist, singer and motivational speaker, Hen HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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“I draw a lot of inspiration from my belief in God and The Bible. For example to many, Solomon had the gift of wisdom, which I strongly believe also rests in me, because there is no way I could’ve written quotes (Faith Quotes) if it was not as a result of the gift of wisdom from God.” Funny though, with all this writing, Hennings says he does not particularly like reading. He does however believe in reading clubs as a way to socialise whilst encouraging people to read, explore and learn more. “My dream is to take over the world. I know it sounds farfetched, but I really want to change things and especially have a positive impact on the educational system in Africa.” The African Themed Adult Colouring Book is available for free download. Follow Hennings below to find out how to get your free copy: Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/henningsart/?ref=bookmarks, https://m.facebook.com/ hwmfaithquotes/?ref=bookmarks Blog: http://faithquote.blogspot.com His first colouring book was actually for children and inspired them to learn about Zimbabwean and African languages and culture as they coloured through the pages of animals; it featured four languages: English, Shona, Ndebele and Swahili. In addition, Hennings also published a book on cultural objects especially traditional objects used in ancient African society and their influence on current culture. “Most children’s colouring books are Eurocentric and include animals like pandas and koala bears and are based on foreign themes that are nowhere near the story of Africa or its people. My goal is to promote the African culture into our educational tools.” Hennings likes to refer to himself as an ‘allround creative’. Growing up he was called the storyteller as he always made up stories for his friends. He was never without his crayons and pencils, and at the age of eight, even wrote and illustrated comics to sell to his peers. As a young adult he moved into fine art and graffiti art and to date he is an author, hip-hop musician, beat-boxer, poet and drummer (he plays the Congo drums).
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*psychologytoday.com *beaumont.org
Stories From Around The World
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Journey of a Cancer Patient
Cruselda Denise Fergus HOUSE OF MUTAPA 10
B
…To Martinique
y Rhoda Molife rhoda@houseofmutapa.com
Cruselda Fergus is a 47-year-old St Lucian mother of two who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. Before her diagnosis, she had worked for 21 years as an Administrative Assistant Health then a Health Safety Officer with the Projects Department of the St Lucia Social Development Fund. She has three sisters, one brother and one surviving parent, her mother, who is 73. Her younger son lives in St Lucia with his fiancé and her older son, aged 23, is in Martinique. Read about her cancer journey, in every sense of the word, below and support a fundraiser she has set up to help her complete her treatment.
St Lucia: Photo Credit Carribean Journal
From St Lucia… After finding a lump in her left breast whilst in the shower, Cruselda was treated with surgery where her breast was removed (mastectomy), followed by chemotherapy in her native St Lucia. She paid to have the chemotherapy as a private patient because the waiting list in the public hospital was simply too long. Radiotherapy was to follow but as it was not available in her country, she had to go to another Caribbean island, the French territory of Martinique.
The process to getting treatment in Martinique was complicated by the fact that she had to prove that she could pay for the treatment as well as meet immigration requirements. As a French territory, the travel requirements were that of mainland France and the currency used was the euro which made things vey expensive. Second, because she did not live in Martinique, she had to rely on a chain of friends to get her first appointment with a specialist. Then she had to prove to the immigration authorities that she was receiving treatment locally and so could remain in the country; her permission to remain had to be renewed at the end of every three months. With a lot of help, she was able to set everything up and started treatment. During the radiotherapy, tests showed that the cancer had spread to her bones and more radiotherapy was needed, to her hip bone in particular. She did remain stable and well until, 2019, when the cancer spread further to the liver and lungs and more bones. Chemotherapy was advised in St Lucia but the lone oncologist there was himself in the UK at the time with his sibling who was also receiving chemotherapy. In addition, with the limited facilities and the high cost of treatment, she felt that her chances of survival there were far too slim. During the two years of treatment and follow-up in Martinique, Cruselda had made friends with several cancer patients. One friend would often help her to access medication through a pharmacist; this pharmacist and her family were familiar with the challenges that cancer patients faced and often helped many out with medication and consultations. With the news that the cancer had spread further, this pharmacist recommended a consultation with a family friend of hers who was a doctor. This doctor’s recommendation was that Cruselda travel to the UK or France for more treatment. Cruselda did not hesitate to do what was needed to get there. With the help of the pharmacist friend, she was able to get a consultation with an oncologist at L’hopital St Joseph in Paris. The same friend also helped her secure accommodation and paid for her plane ticket. … To France
Martinique: Photo Credit - hombre1.com
Cruselda arrived in Paris on 28 November 2019 and went directly to the hospital for her appointment. Chemotherapy was recommended and scheduled to start on 13 December. Her friends in Martinique had secured her free accommodation at the apartment of someone they knew HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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that was based in Paris. However, this was just for one week, so as well as getting ready for treatment, Cruselda had to find somewhere else to live. An acquaintance of Cruselda’s benefactors recommended that Cruselda stay at a Catholic institution which housed foreigners on treatment. As soon as the week was up at the apartment, she moved to this institution, Rosier Rouge. The cost of the room was 47.50 euros a day but if she didn’t pay on time, the room locked automatically whether she was in or out. This happened a few times and although it was quite stressful for her, she stayed there for two months. Donations from St Lucia helped her pay the bill of 2,800 euros.
Unfortunately, scans done after two cycles of treatment showed that the chemotherapy was not working. A month later she started a second type of chemotherapy. Fortunately this one worked as a scan after the first three cycles showed the cancer had reduced by 40%. She continued with this treatment until another assessment in September 2020 which showed more reduction, so this treatment continued. “Because I have the abnormal BRCA gene, it means that my children and siblings can also have it so they are at risk of getting cancers. My family and I are trying to organise testing for all of them but it’s quite costly. The samples also have to be sent to Miami Florida. It can be done in Martinique but the COVID19 pandemic is making things challenging.” The Financial Burden By this time, Cruselda had applied for and is now receiving complimentary medical assistance from the French government which covers the costs of her treatments. Though she is currently living with a family in Fonte-
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nay-aux-Roses in Hauts-de-Seine, she has had to rely on the generosity of friends and family to meet all her living expenses. It is now nearly impossible for her family to support her and so she has set up a gofundme page to raise 5,000 euros for food, accommodation and living expenses. In addition, as her cancer is caused by an abnormal BRCA gene, her immediate relatives must also be tested. They are trying to organise testing, but the process is being slowed down by the price and the logistics. The samples can only be taken in Martinique when most of her family live in St Lucia and then have to be shipped to Miami in Florida for testing; the COVID19 pandemic is making this difficult.
For now though, Cruselda is focussed on completing her treatment and getting well enough to see her family. The current chemotherapy continues to shrink her cancer and she will remain on treatment for as long as it is working, and she’s tolerating it. “Honestly, my desire right now is to be well enough to see my family. It’s not possible for them to visit me at present and I cannot stop the treatment to visit them especially with current travel challenges around the world and my vulnerability as a stage 4 cancer patient.” To help Cruselda stay in France to continue her treatment, go here: https://gofund.me/ed7bde10
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COVER STORY
CARL JOSHUA NCUBE
New Beginnings HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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B
y Rhoda Molife rhoda@houseofmutapa.com
Carl Joshua Ncube, 41, is known as Zimbabwe’s funniest stand-up comedian. Since launching his award-winning career in stand-up comedy in 2010, he has broken numerous barriers to bring Zimbabwean comedy to the world, having performed in multiple countries across five continents. Along the way, he has bagged the titles of Ted Global Fellow (2017) and Ted Talk Speaker (2018). He actually trained and worked as a nurse in the UK before turning to comedy which he really pursued in South Africa. Telling jokes for a living is not all he does though. Carl is an all-round creative being a chef, writer, animator, producer and photographer. His 2nd cookery book, Carl Can Cook, will be published in 2021. Back in 2019, he and his wife Nelsy decided to ditch city life and move to rural Zimbabwe to develop an eco-sustainable rural development project. Here’s a look at Carl’s journey to new beginnings.
I got paid a lot.
Where It All Started
Did you set out to be a comedian or was it a chance happening?
As a child, your favourite past-time was… … Drawing. Apparently, I loved to draw as a toddler. Art was and is everything! Growing up … I had to grow up very fast after my parents split up when I was five years old. A messy separation meant having to balance giving both my parents time and being shouted at for wanting to see my Dad or dealing with being a Ndebele kid around Shona relatives or a Shona kid amongst Ndebele relatives. What was your first job? I worked at Presentation Solutions under Valentine Sinemani designing Powerpoint presentations and setting them up from laptop to projector. This was an actual job you got paid for and
How would your family describe you? Head strong I’d say. They’ve just learnt to stay out of my way! (loud laughter)
My father was a comedian and I initially wanted to use my marketing and branding knowledge to manage his career, but he didn’t see himself attracting people to see him. He was used to being hired for functions like weddings. I did a show to prove to him that it could be done. People loved my jokes and I ended up performing instead. Unfortunately that performance I did with my dad would be the last time I saw him alive. He would die later that year. What was the ‘aha’ moment you knew you had to do this? Once my dad had died, it became a legacy issue for me to carry on this new-found family talent. I saw it as passing on the baton. My agenda was to gear our family into a generational family of comedians. I’m currently heading the HOUSE OF MUTAPA 15
second generation and hoping it will inspire the third. I already see some nephews and nieces showing promise! (laughs) You are a man of many talents – how did you acquire all these skills?! I believe our God has given us the ability to do many things, yet we often box ourselves in and make ourselves about just one thing. I simply chose things I do anyway and learnt how to monetise those first. Then I discovered I could do lots of other things. For example, even though I’m a comedian, I cook at home just like everyone else, but I made it a profession. Then, I thought, why not write some cookbooks? Then as I published them myself, I’m also a publisher.
On Food Let’s talk about cooking! What inspired you? My mother is a retired home economics lecturer, so fashion and fabrics and food and nutrition has been part of my life since I was a child. Tell us something about Zimbabwean cuisine we don’t know about? Sadza needs to be reformed because the amounts we eat are not healthy. The whole thing of eating large amounts at night has to change. We also need to find ways to reintroduce small grains into our diets Your favourite dish to make is… … Steak. I love my steak, especially a thick cut seasoned on one side and put in a hot pan with oil to cook for eight minutes undisturbed. Then you season the other side and turn, add butter garlic cloves, thyme and rosemary and bathe the steak lovingly for another eight minutes. Place on a board to rest and slice thinly onto a plate with a coriander, lemon, chilli and olive oil dressing. Just that and a salad! So, you’ve just given us an exclusive and free Carl J Ncube recipe?! Yup! Which corner of Africa has the best food? Ethiopia and Morocco are neck and neck for me. HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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A top tip for great meals is… … Involve the whole family. Get together days in advance. Contribute what you can. Have fun together.
The Comedian’s Journey What has been your journey to being Zimbabwe’s and one of Africa’s best comedians? My career has followed three steps. First was Get Good - which was focussing on my craft and going to South Africa to learn from some of the funniest guys in Africa. This meant doing lots and lots of gigs, just getting good enough to attract more bookings. The second stage was Get Seen. I needed to make sure that as I was growing, people could follow the progress. I spent time using my comedy and design to raise money to move from country to country. Getting seen also meant using social media as a tool to get more bookings. People look at my social media and say that I don’t have many views or likes but that’s because those accounts were geared at promoters knowing who I was. This was not the time to seek fame but time to get gigs so I could make a living. Last was Get Paid. The awesome team of my wife and I had, and still have a system in place to make sure we focussed on what was important - our business - and staying away from trying to get the likes or shares. We needed invoices, quotations and payments!
in life. I started at 30 and I’m 41 now. It’s been harsh on my body, but it taught me to think smarter always. A lot of entrepreneurs talk about having had to pivot during the pandemic. How have you had to pivot? I didn’t have to make any adjustments. In 2015 I wrote an article that the way the world was going and what we were doing was not sustainable. Something bad was coming. My wife and I moved to a small town because we felt the cities would be affected more. We developed ten revenue streams and began growing them. We learnt how to do barter trade in case cash ever became an issue. We started a nomadic lifestyle that allowed us to work on the go. We cut down on going or eating out. We then decided to move out of rented accommodation to build an off-grid home a whole year before COVID hit. We were living in isolation, working from home and replacing all our entertainment-based revenue. You’ve lived in three countries, right? Your take-aways from each are… I miss the organisation of the UK which helped me understand how to make Zimbabwe work
Comedy in Zimbabwe is… … A very fast growing sector and has expanded to many genres. I’m so happy that this is where it all ended up growing to. The spaces are opening up, the government has become less strict about it and more young names are coming through the ranks A highlight of the journey so far has been… … I’d say doing a TED talk at official TED events like GLOBAL and SUMMIT.
About Carl You’ve faced some huge challenges; which was your biggest and how did you tackle it? I think the biggest challenge was just having to be energetic considering I started comedy later HOUSE OF MUTAPA 17
for me. The way the British have this ability to be proud of the little they have makes them appear better in everyone’s eyes. South Africa was a great place to grow my career. I met many comedians and smoothed my craft there. Now, Zimbabwe. Home is always best and has been my biggest asset. Being Zimbabwean makes me unique to the world. Being Zimbabwean makes me more resourceful because I am resourceless. Being Zimbabwean has made me more strategic and this has given me the edge, always. Three tips to create joy are…
what’s next. One family tradition you keep in your family is… … spending time together, learning to work together - it’s a process - and not trying to impress each other. Some new traditions you’re creating in your family are… … Building our own home. Cooking restaurant-standard food at home. Growing our own food. Working from home. Three top tips on how to achieve success in 21st century Africa are…
Life is simple. Love God and love your neighbour. Grow your own food. Do what you can with what you have whenever you can.
… Get Good. Get Seen. Get Paid
How do you think the ancestors will view what you do now?
IG: @carljoshuancube
They’d be happy that they managed to live on and be visible in my work. They will feel celebrated, they will get acknowledgement and they will finally have a way of guiding us because they exist!
Twitter: @CarlJoshuaNcube
What gets you out of bed? Purpose! God set out a plan for me and it felt urgent, so it keeps me on my toes. God was simple with me; He said ‘I want you to feel what I felt when I created everything. I want you to go into dark spaces that are void and you will call whatever you want into existence and it will be so!’ What’s a typical day like for you? Wake up at 6am, then work on social media posts until 10am. The rest goes like this: 11am make breakfast, 12pm shower, 1pm sleep, 3pm go to the shops to get stuff for dinner, 5pm sleep, 6pm cook dinner, 8pm shower, 9pm watch Netflix, 11pm design some client work, 12am chill some more and watch building videos, 4am sleep. First thing you do in the morning is… …Put the coffee machine on. Last thing you do at night is… … Kiss the wife goodnight or just talk about HOUSE OF MUTAPA
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Follow Carl Joshua Ncube here: Facebook: Carl Joshua Ncube Website: http://carljoshuancube.com/ YouTube: Carl Joshua Ncube And follow Carl and his wife as they build their rural home here: YouTube: TouriZIM Ekaya
Food & Drink Recipes from Carl Can Cook by Carl Joshua Ncube
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HoM NEWS
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HoM NEWS
Zimbabwean-born actor Regé-Jean stars in Shonda Rhimes’s Bodacious Bridgerton Netflix
Photo Credit - Liam Daniel
In case you didn’t know by now, allow us to tell you. As we kick off 2021, the hottest actor on the planet right now is Zimbabwean Rege-Jean Page. He plays the lead role in the hottest TV show, Netflix’s Bridgerton, written by the hottest screenwriter on the planet, Shonda Rhimes. Rege (pronounced reggae; Jean as in Wyclef Jean) was born in Zimbabwe and raised with three siblings in Harare by his African mother, a nurse and English father, a preacher. He returned to the UK for secondary school and first took up acting as a hobby at a Saturday school. In 2013 he graduated from the Drama Centre London before launching his acting career on the stage. He’s actually been slogging away hard way before Bridgerton. His first TV appearance was in the UK’s Casualty in 2005 and he also featured as Chicken George in the 2016 remake of Roots. This is also not the first time he’s worked with Shonda Rhimes – he starred in her series For The People in 2018. His first film appearance was in 2004 and he also appeared as a wedding guest in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 – in 2011. Bridgerton is showing on Netflix now and lots more seasons are set to come! HOUSE OF MUTAPA 23
HoM NEWS
Far From Yesterday Now Streaming on PlayAfrika TV
The 2015 Zimbabwean production directed by Charles Mugaviri Jr and starring young Hannah Madzikanda, Denise Edwards and our November cover feature John Cole started streaming live for free on www.playafrika.tv starting January 22. In the film, a young girl from a comfortable home runs off to start a life with a thug. When she becomes pregnant, he abandons her. Eight years later, fate finds him, and he has to find a way to raise his daughter. Playafrika TV is an online platform that showcases films from all across the continent.
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HoM NEWS
Harvard Student Chenai Mangachena’s GoFundMe Fundraiser for Former Teacher
Mr Mwadzirerutsa
A Zimbabwean computer science student at Harvard University, Chenai Mangachena, has set up a gofundme campaign to raise funds for her former science teacher, Mr Mwadzirerutsa, who teaches at Mufakose 2 High School. Mr Mwadzirerutsa who is also father to teenaged children, developed a tumour which is compressing his spinal cord; without surgery, he will not be able to walk again. Enough money was raised in the nick of time to allow the surgery to go ahead on 23 January; the surgeon also reduced the fee for the surgery. However more funds are needed pay for rehabilitation and other medical expenses. Chenai says that without the dedication of her teacher she would not be where she is today studying at one of the top universities in the world. He has also helped countless other students realise their dreams and reach beyond their circumstances and many are at other renowned institutions such as Edinburgh and Cambridge. “This is a life we cannot afford to lose.” The salary for a teacher in Zimbabwe is only $200 per month and so Mr Mwadzirerutsa would not have been able to pay for his treatment without this help. To donate please follow the link for ‘Help My Favourite Teacher Live and Walk Again: https://gofund.me/03b98784 HOUSE OF MUTAPA 25
DUMI SENDA
Rags to Impact Coach
B
y Rodney Rumbidzai Chawota rodney@houseofmutapa.com
Dumi Senda, also known as Coach Dumi, is an Oxford-educated global diversity and inclusion (D&I) expert. He has designed and delivered high-impact programs at top firms and organisations such as the UN, Houses of Commons, Commonwealth Office, Bank of England, Google, Goldman Sachs, Baker McKenzie and DWP. Dumi is renowned for inspiring people from underserved backgrounds to aspire for greater career and life outcomes, drawing on his story of going from a life of menial labour with little prospects to global leader. He has shared the stage with the President of Zambia, King of Lesotho, MEPs and FTSE 100 company executives. In 2020, he was invited to No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK Prime Minister, in recognition of his impact in broadening access to career opportunities for people of Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK. He is also a motivational speaker, author and poet. His debut children’s book The Day the Sun Promised to Smile FOREVER! was HOUSE OF MUTAPA 26
published by Ariel Foundation International in German, English and French to raise funds for the UNICEF-initiated international foundation, Innocence in Danger, that supports victims of child sexual abuse in more than 32 countries. He recently contributed to Everyday Ubuntu, published by Penguin and with a foreword by global human rights icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu. How did your passion for diversity and inclusion begin? It was driven by my intolerance for inequality which was born out of my friendship with a homeless man I called Mukoma Jimmy. I always saw him on my journey home from Cranborne Boys High School in Harare where I did my A’ Levels. We quickly became friends, although I still like to think of him as my mentor. He taught me much about the value of humility from the way he conducted himself with a generous spirit despite the challenges he faced. He and I would sit down and share whatever little food either of us had and he would tell stories about his daily encounters, but never with a victim’s sentiment. Quite often, he would say to me, “Chikomana, rimwe zuva uchaita kuti nyika yedu itinakire tese - Young man, one day you will help make our country good for us all.” What was the biggest lesson from that relationship? When I came to the UK after completing my
A’ Levels I’d forgotten Mukoma Jimmy’s words until I faced a personal battle to turn my life around from being in a menial job to finding purpose, value and meaning for my life. My journey of going from sweeping factory floors to becoming top in my department at Leeds Beckett University, and being accepted into Oxford University, gave me first-hand experience into how far people can go given a chance to tap into their true potential. I vowed then that I would invest my energy and time into helping others become who they were destined to be. How have you done that? My time working with the London-based charity, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) London, showed me that helping under-represented people enter industry is a key first step we can build on by helping employers create more inclusive environments where diverse
groups can thrive. As the Head of Outreach and Alumni Engagement, I helped students of ethnic minority backgrounds to break into and succeed in competitive industries like finance, banking, law, engineering and consultancy at elite firms such as Goldman Sachs and Rolls Royce. What do you do now? I’m now focussed on what I like to call ‘mission-driven entrepreneurship’. I left SEO London during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on my coaching and diversity and inclusion business full time. Since then, I’ve worked on exciting and impactful global projects covering five continents, helping international organisations to drive change on race and other forms of diversity and inclusion. It’s all been helped with my collaborations with groups like The Diversity Practice and the Black
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British Business Awards (BBBAs). I also have the freedom and ability to do more career development work in collaboration with Africa-based organisations across several countries. When I’m not working on corporate projects, I coach my clients who include students and professionals on how to achieve their goals and I really enjoy this. What’s the UK’s issue with diversity and inclusion? I would say here there’s an ideological problem I’ll call ‘exclusionism’, which is not unique to but probably more severe in the UK compared to other similar countries. You can see this in the rising tide of anti-immigrant sentiment. I would say Brexit is an effect of this exclusionism - a form of nationalism if you like. Of course, the consequences of such impulses are felt more deeply by under-served communities which already have limited capacity to mitigate the effects of any instability. Do you think movements like Black Lives Matter were effective in addressing racism and discrimination in the UK and elsewhere in the world? I would ask this - as global citizens of all diversities, have we been as effective as we should be in addressing the issues that movements like BLM have highlighted? We are now at a pivotal moment that can either drive change that future generations will thank us for or highlight our complacency and complicity to them. There’s an opportunity to ask ourselves questions we have either not cared or dared to ask in the past. What I think BLM did was position the ‘race issue’ as a ‘human issue’ as opposed to it being a ‘black-people-only-issue.’ This is a good start, but we all have a lot of work to do to turn this moment into a lasting legacy. How did you find poetry? What makes a really good poem? Poetry was a route into an imaginary world I created to escape the realities of living with a stepmother who was not kind to her stepchildren. I would often lock myself in the toilet with a piece of paper and pen and scribble lines of my dream world, where all children are treated and loved the same. The ‘poems’ were very basic but provided much more solace than a pristinely-scripted one could ever have because they spoke to a lived experience. I would say a ‘good’ poem is what our senses HOUSE OF MUTAPA 28
tell us it is. A good poem enables us to see what we are blinded to, to feel what we are numbed to and to become whosoever we want to be. Do you think Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole are making progress as far as diversity and inclusion is concerned? There is a perception that diversity and inclusion is a western concept that has no relevance in Africa. This line of thinking comes from a limited view that thinks it’s all about race. This, of course, is not accurate; diversity and inclusion is context-specific and pertains to all the factors that either help or hinder the fair distribution of and access to opportunities and outcomes. We have a legacy that continues to determine which groups succeed and which are left behind, as well as emergent issues such as the unequal access to internet and technology. The gap between haves and have-nots has never been as significant in determining life chances as it is under the COVID-19 pandemic. My experience of working with Africa-based organisations has shown me that diversity and inclusion has not yet been embraced as much as it could be to fully unlock the creativity and productivity it can. Of course we shouldn’t copy and paste approaches from a western context onto an African context but apply what works for us as well as create what works for us. The secret to success is… …That there is no secret! You must do what it takes and that takes having the right mindset. That mindset means you will put in the necessary work, have the discipline to stay the course and embrace rejection and ‘failure’ as learning opportunities. Success is something any of us can enjoy, not just a select few, but you must have the awareness and know-how to do what it takes. This is where a career coach can unlock great value for people, particularly those who just do not know that they do not know. How do you keep yourself motivated? I start each day reminding myself that I am privileged to be alive and to have another opportunity to live out my life purpose. I also end each day with a review of what I did, how much I accomplished and what I could have done better. Part of my daily reviews involves time to relax and spending time with family which is just as important as work. As far as career development is concerned in Zimbabwe, do you think the current edu-
cational system is fit for purpose? I think it has not kept up with where it needs to be to fully harness the wealth of talent and creativity our young people have. Having worked with young people across the continent I get a sense this is an Africa-wide issue in fact. To put it bluntly, Africa is churning out industry-illiterate graduates. It’s simply not good enough to get to the end of your degree without once having stepped into the industry you want to work in. We need to invest in employability programs for young people. Your key lesson during the current global pandemic is… …We have all become more aware of our vulnerability and mortality and so are working out what truly matters in life. The pandemic has forced us to pause our daily routines and to stop and notice our neighbours in the way we had not done before and the people that really keep the world turning. We have put the letter e on human to become more humane. How long the negative effects and some of the positive legacies of the pandemic will last no one knows. However, we lived through a pivotal moment in history. I hope we can hold on to the humility we’ve learned and the courage to put love at the centre of all we do. Then, perhaps, we can have the wisdom to play our part however small to contribute towards a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive world in our homes, workplaces and communities. Doing so is not altruism, it’s being human with an e added humane. You can follow Dumi here: Twitter: @CoachDumi LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dumisenda Facebook: @dumisenda Website: www.dumisenda.com For his writings, go here: Everyday Ubuntu - https://www.penguin. co.uk/books/111/1118260/everyday-ubuntu/9781787631984.html The Day the Sun Promised to Shine FOREVER - https://app.thebookpatch.com/BookStore/ the-day-the-sun-promised-to-smile-forever/ 2463d8a6-7da4-4ce7-b5dc-950444f0eca8 When The Soul Awakens and On the Barren Side of the Hill by Dumi Senda are available on Amazon HOUSE OF MUTAPA 29
FEATURE
DESTINATION ZIMBABWE HOUSE OF MUTAPA 30
Lake Kariba
B
y Vannesa Y Moosa vanesach@gmail.com
have “ten wonders that distinguish us from other destinations including safety and security, a rich history and heritage, beautiful weather alongside Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe has become well known in the media for sadly all the wrong reasons – our economic and social decline and a political regime in disarray. Zimbabweans have however remained resolute. In the tourism and trade sectors, the country still attracts visitors and investors who continue to come in because of the beauty of the country and the business potential alike. So as a new year begins, we take a look at Destination Zimbabwe.
Something for Everyone
I spoke with Givemore Chidzidzi, the Acting CEO of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority which is the custodian of everything tourism in Zimbabwe. He told us that Zimbabwe is unique in that we
Adventurers and Daredevils
The great thing about Zimbabwe is that there is something for everyone, from family-friendly safaris in all the national parks to spots for thrill seekers and those who love adventure. For those who want a quiet but scenic environment, there is Vumba in the Eastern Highlands.
For game and bird viewing, Hwange National Park, Gonarezhou National Park and Imire Game Park are unmatched. Mountain climbers can climb for hours on Nyangani Mountain in Recently, a US-based travel and tourism agency, Nyanga, also in the Eastern Highlands. Tourlane, named Zimbabwe as the safest place History lovers can immerse themselves at histo visit in the world when countries reopen their torical and cultural sites such as Great Zimbaborders for international travel post-COVID-19 bwe, Matobo Hills, Domboshava Caves and the restrictions. Tourlane ranked Zimbabwe number Khami Ruins in Bulawayo. An emerging feature one among 15 destinations which included Thai- is township tourism. Both visitors and locals can land, Fiji, Zambia, Seychelles, Japan and Cam- take tours of the townships and see the first setbodia. tlements of Zimbabweans. Everyone knows of Victoria Falls as Zimbabwe’s top adventure spot for white-water rafting, bun-
The Ten Wonders of Zimbabwe . Peace and tranquility . Safety and security . Wonderful people and culture . Victoria Falls . A rich history and heritage . Great Zimbabwe . The mystique of the Eastern Highlands . Wildlife and compelling scenes of nature . Kariba Dam and the Zambezi River . Beautiful weather HOUSE OF MUTAPA
31 Victoria Falls
Chijolo Cliffs Photo Credit - Zimparks
gee jumping, lion walks and feeds, gorge swings and zip-lining. All this is topped by scenic helicopter flights over the falls. However there are other great spots for adrenaline-fuelled fun. One that has become very popular is the skyline by the Mutarazi Falls in Nyanga, which at an estimated height of 500 metres is the second highest waterfalls in Africa. It is both awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking. Visitors can skywalk the entire falls at a distance of 30 to 90 metres above the ground. What’s New? A new addition to the list of must-see places is the largest inland dam, Tugwi-Mukosi. It is a concrete-face rock-fill dam on the Tugwi River, just downstream of its confluence with the Mukosi River, about 72 kilometres south of Masvingo. It is 90.3 metres tall and creates a 1,750,000,000 m3 reservoir. Then there are the beautiful red sandstone Chilojo Cliffs in the Gonarezhou National HOUSE OF MUTAPA 32
Park, formed through years of erosion. The cliffs overlook the scenic Runde River Valley. We asked Mr Chidzidzi what is new on the Zimbabwe tourism scene? “So there is the recently launched Zimbho campaign which urges locals to travel and tour the country. The campaign brand is premised on the word bho, which means good, well or fine. In the context of tourism, we are saying Zimbabwe is beautiful and richly endowed, thus ‘Zim is bho’.” So, when we can travel again, and we will, don’t rush to leave the country; and for those in the diaspora, make it a point to really holiday when you are next here. You will not be disappointed. Visit the ZTA website here: www.zimbabwetourism.net and the Zimbabwe Council of Tourism here: www.zct.co.zw
Mtarazi Falls HOUSE OF MUTAPA 33 Photo Credit - Mtarazi Falls Travel &Tours
HANNAH MENTZ PHOTOGRAPHY
HOUSE OF MUTAPA 34 Photo Credit - Hannah Mentz
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