Thank you, ngiyabonga, ndinotenda!

I have been meaning to write this for the longest time but due to one reason or another - ZESA, work, laziness and so forth, I haven`t been able to and kept on postponing and postponing and postponing and postponing until I finally decided to face my demons head on and sat down with my computer to type this.

I so much want to give myself all the great for soldiering on for years until I attained my degree but when I look back, I realize that in this country and in my case in particular, it indeed takes a whole village to raise a child.

I have already wrote a bit about some of the challenges I faced during my college years and will most likely give a detailed account about them in future but I don`t want to talk about that today, today I just want to thank, where possible, by name, everyone who has made my academic journey, even though long, meandering and difficult, a fairly successful, thus far.

This piece is particularly important for me because I was offered an opportunity to do just that at a recent family function but couldn’t as emotions got the better of me.

I however like the emotional part of this journey for many reasons.

The thing is, by the time I finished my undergraduate studies, everything had all but changed. I had long joined the hustling streets and had gotten comfortable with things that are very far away from my field study so much that even today, a couple months after graduation, I am yet to hop back into my field of study (though I plan to in a couple of months). 

The long and short of it is that, thanks to people like Zacharariah Mashawetu, Namatai Kwekweza, Youngerson Matete, among many others, graduating from college didn’t have as much of an impact as I had originally thought that it would have when I started.

As a result, I tend to take the achievement very very lightly.

And, this is where the emotional side of me come in handy. It reminds me of why I started and I persisted all those long years and of course why I have to thank everyone who lent a hand along the way.

It will be understandable to many for me to focus on my college years or more logical to others for me to start from the start, back in kindergarten. For me though, the journey kicked off proper proper around 2011 when I was in sixth grade.

I obviously have to thank my grandparents who were my guardians at the time. Special thanks goes to especially my grandma (may her soul in peace). She was relentless and ever supportive throughout my stay with her. I remember some time around 2010 when she used to set an alarm for 2am just so that she could wake me up to study. She also never cared how much candles or lamp oil I burnt in a single night. Gogo, thank you so so much!

Then, there`s this friend whose close association not only brought me joy but also made a better person and a better student; thank you Panashe.

Here`s also to another friend who stayed with me in the after hours of school, motivated and challenged me to keep studying during the last of my days at Epworth High School. Thank you dear friend, Lynnscent. I hope you will keep thriving for the very best in everything.

I really have to thank my aunt who took me in and cared for me during my A’ levels and only God knows how things could have turned out to be if hadn’t been that generous. Thank you so so much Tete for caring for me.

Here`s also to another aunt whom I could always turn to when the going got tough. On my memorable 21st birthday, she gave me a laptop that I have just used to polish the final version of this thank you note, a laptop that was quite handy during all my time in college and even during the first few months of work before I bought mine. At one time, in my third when I almost dropped out again, she even borrowed me money and I sailed through. When I culdn`t secure internship, she also stepped in. Thank you Tete.

College could not have been possible if it were not to an uncle who went out of his way to make sure that I kick start my college education. Not only did this guy pay for my first semester fees, he also furnished me with a laptop that made my first semester a little bit bearable. Thank you, dad.

Here`s to another uncle who lent me a hand always, provided funds, bought me a work suit and provided countless other things when I needed them, thank you too, dad.

Here`s to an uncle who offered me employment when I needed it the most. Thank you too, dad

Here`s to a then stranger who became a mentor, Todd. Your deeds are plenty, small and big, material and immaterial. Thank you loads.

Here`s to a then stranger who stepped up to pay a whole semester tuition fees when I was about to drop out again. Thank you Ntando.

Here`s to my first year lecturer and mentor who encouraged to come back to school after dropping out. Thank you Mr. Madzo.

Here`s to a couple of college friends who made the successful end possible. Kat Mosety, Malvin Nyagadza, Chiedza Mapfumo, Munashe B. Sunhwa, Kelvin, Max, Merline the roommate, Part one bestie, Mr. Douglas Remhunga, Jimmy Machisi, one of the best roommates I ever had, Give, Hynne, project, study and assignments group mates Collen Gama, Amanda (MHSRIP), Evans Maseko, Josephine Ganganwa, Tapiwa Sithole, Oscar Munashe Kazembe, Kudzaiishe Mandizha, Pretty Mthunzi, President Barnette, and so many of you that I can`t name here.

I am a little bit ashamed though because despite cracking and cracking my big head for a couple of days now, I still can`t remember the name of the guy who let me squat in his room during that very difficult first semester in college. Friend, thank you!

Here`s to my bosses at Edgars whose offer of employment gave me a another shot at the knowledge cap. Mr Bwezani and Mr. Kadya, thank you.

Mr Dirikwe and Mr Paundi, for encouraging me to take the risk of quitting a job and going to school, thank you.

Here`s to my dissertation supervisor, Mrs Fungura, thank you.

Here`s to a stranger who became a close friend and then a stranger again during the last couple of years. Thank you, love.

The pandemic brought me a lot of sorrow and hardships but it also brought me a friend, a very close and very sweet friend who has been ever supportive of everything I do especially the academics. Thank you, sweetheart!

Dad, thank you for everything.

To my mom, who I doubt that she really understood what I was trying to do with my life during the last five or so years but still went to the ends of the earth to make sure that my dreams come true. Thank you, thank you, a million times mom.

Thank you to the various other people – family, friends, strangers, - that I haven’t mentioned here but still played key roles in this journey, I just want to say thank you.