“Why I became a leader”

‘It was 1983. I had just qualified in bookkeeping, accounts and secretarial duties. I was so eager to begin my working life and help my parents, three sisters and brother. But not long after I qualified, my father was abducted under false suspicion of political involvement.

A few days later, I was also abducted and detained at a police station. I was alone in a small room, blindfolded and with my legs tied, for three days. I was given no food all day. There was a bad smell in the room… I can’t think of it. My mother was detained elsewhere and they tortured her too. They wanted us to testify that my father had guns at home. But I never saw any such thing. From somewhere I started to build courage and stood my ground. Eventually they let me go, and also released my mother. When I got home I found people gathering in confusion amid rumors of my father’s death.  Three days later we had to identify his mutilated body in a local hospital mortuary. That was when I started my social activism.

I got married in 1984 and by 1993 we were raising two sons and a daughter. But in 1995, tragedy came again when my husband Philip died of Karposi’s sarcoma, an AIDS-related disease. That is how I found out I was HIV-positive. Then my younger son got very sick and I too lost a lot of weight. My sister, a nurse, helped me to come to terms with my illness. I made changes and started living positively – I spoke openly about my condition and made lifestyle changes to care for myself and others. Soon after, my elder sister’s husband also died from AIDS-related complications.

I had a small pension from my husband’s last job and started cross-border trading, plus I worked as a bookkeeper.  Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS carried on destroying other lives in my family. Between 2002 and 2004 I lost two nieces, two sisters, my brother, my sister-in-law and my uncle.  Except for my uncle, all these deaths were due to HIV/AIDS. As a result, I was left with eight children and my mother to care for during a very difficult time politically and financially.

Just at my lowest point, a local church organization stepped in to provide food and some help towards school fees. I was so inspired by this that from then on I decided to dedicate myself to the fight against AIDS. At the same time I became active again in civil rights and campaigning for government recognition of human rights. I was arrested, beaten and detained, but I did not want to give up. (Even now, Cecilia is targeted for her activism- during the June 2008 elections, she had go into hiding).

In 2002, I started working with a local NGO to learn about the best ways of caring and supporting the children in our community. We decided to profile our community. From that survey it became clear that the most vulnerable group of children, those aged three to six, were not getting help from any organization.

Fortunately, I was then put in touch with an outstanding psychosocial supporter and mentor, Mel O’Gorman.  Through Mel I learned practical leadership, management and technical skills, and most vitally, how to impart these skills to others. In 2005, I was asked by the Shingirirai Trust to be its first programs coordinator, and I have been in this position now for the past four years. I am responsible for the day-to-day management of all our programming activities.

My dream for the Shingirirai Trust is to have our own support and development center here in the community, to give the youngest children a good start, with love in their lives.

Then it is important that we create more income-generating projects through our Skills Development program. This is in order that the Trust can sustain itself, but also to give young people and especially young women, the skills, self-esteem and independence to enable them to make better life choices.

Our greatest wish in Shingirirai is that by sharing this knowledge we can one day encourage women in other communities in Africa and all over the world to become leaders with vision.

It’s true I have known a lot of grief. But this has opened my eyes, ears and my heart to the call of disadvantaged and desperate people in my community. And knowing that other women far away hear us and want to get involved… this strengthens me to carry on with the work I love.’

We invite you to join forces with the Shingirirai Women as they work to regenerate their community in the face of enormous daily challenges. Your support of €10 each month for a year or a single payment of €120, or whatever amount you feel able to give, will help Cecilia access the courses she needs to develop her leadership skills within the Shingirirai Trust for another year..

Thank You.

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