Cama member Tinyiko Chauke

The following is an extract from a Cama Zimbabwe report on members’ activities during 2007. Cama, the Camfed alumni, is a pan-African membership organisation made up of young women supported through their education by Camfed and joined by other young rural women dedicated to working for change. In her own words, Tinyiko describes how she supported her neighbour’s child and the impact this had on her own self-esteem.

“I helped a boy by the name of Tawedzerwa. The boy is my neighbour. I always see him at home during the school days herding cattle. One day I stopped to ask why he was not going to school. He told me that he did not have a school shirt. I asked him if I gave him mine, was he going to go to school.  He refused, saying ‘your tee-shirt is well-known by everybody so they will laugh at me’.

I talked to my stepmother about the issue of the boy. I asked if she could give me one of her children’s shirts. She was happy and instead of giving me one shirt she added one more, and a piece soap.

I helped Tawedzerwa because he is young and very intelligent. I have learned that if you face a situation or a problem, find out the cause of the problem and then find the solution. If you are not able to solve a problem make referrals and make sure the problem is solved. I am so proud because the boy continued going to school and his parents accepted the help I gave to the child without consulting them.

If a child comes to me and faces me with the similar situation I have to help in some manner because this is my duty to hep any way I can either the parent is good, big or small. I learned that you could think this problem is big but through sharing with others it can be small.”

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