Dripping Water

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Important Notice

Acknowledgements

This book, Dripping Water , is a tribute to my late parents, Mr Silas Nhau Kadenge and Mrs Emily Marewasei Nhau Kadenge née Chiwandire, who, through their loving parental guidance based on Christian principles, helped me to be the person that I am today.

My heartfelt appreciation goes to my two great daughters, who made it worthwhile to write the book. Mrs Tanda Nashe has helped in proofreading of the manuscript and encouragement on how she enjoyed reading the story of her mother’s life. Pastor Thoko Owino also enjoyed this book and learned some issues in it.

I would like to say a big thank you to my big sister Everjoyce, who worked alongside my parents in giving me a good moral base and led me to Christ. Thank you to my sister-in-law Josephine and her late husband, Mr Robert Nhau, who were also active subjects of the book. Thank you also goes to my younger sister Winnie for her encouragement of me so that I should continue on the writing process. I cannot remain without thanking my two brothers Itayi and Silas and every member of the Nhau Kadenge clan who became part of the story of my life with no choice. The list is numerous, where I have to thank my two sons-in-law, Pastor George and Mr Nashe, for the male figure support, and my grandchildren Shekinah and Sion, whom I deprived of our family time as I was busy with the book. Every person mentioned in this book is highly appreciated, including last but not least, the production team of Xilbris self-publishing scheme. As mentioned on another note, it would be a sin to conclude without thanking my God and my King, Jesus Christ, for all about me is his.

Chapter 1

On the 28th of September 1958, there she came, little Elizabeth Nyemwerai Nhau, into the world at the Harare Hospital Maternity ward. The city was then called Salisbury, which is now Harare and has since maintained its capital city status. At that time in the ’50s, the country was still called Southern Rhodesia, which is now known as Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.

When the midwives found both mother and daughter fit to go home, both were discharged from the maternity ward. Everyone referred to my mother as Mai Ever, meaning mother of Ever; her actual first name was Emily. In the Shona culture, it is respectable to address a parent along with their child’s name, particularly the firstborn. My mother was a brunette, a black beauty in complexion, and of an African origin. She had met my father Silas Nhau in 1952, when they fell in love and married and very quickly procreated. Silas was slender and fair in complexion and had brown eyes and was about 5.7 feet tall.

Both parents arrived home at house no. 1055, Lusaka section, in an area called Highfield in Salisbury. At this humble home, there were two senior siblings for little Elizabeth to meet, who were her big sister Everjoyce Nyasha, the firstborn, and her brother Robert Farai, the second child. Around the labour times, it was customary for the maternal grandmother to move in with her daughter and family in order to help out with any issues her very heavily pregnant daughter might have and to be one of the very first people to welcome the new baby into the world upon birth. Grandma Leah was taking care of Elizabeth’s older sister and brother whilst Emily her daughter was at the maternity ward, awaiting the final journey of her nine months.

Even though no one has told me this, I could imagine jubilation when Emily arrived home with baby Elizabeth. There would have been a lot of shared joy in the neighbourhood. At that time, Mai Mrs Maenzanise from house 1054 next door was pregnant as well, also expecting a baby girl, Martha. One could imagine her thoughts were emulating my mother that she was over with the plight of pregnancy and giving birth. Mrs Rukainga from house no. 1053 was also pregnant, carrying daughter Shelter. I tell you, in that year, it seemed that every woman of age was getting pregnant. My paternal aunt, the firstborn in my father’s family, Mrs Chihwai, was expecting daughter Grace. Dad’s second sister, Mrs Chinake, was pregnant with twins, son Tinoenda and daughter Zvikomborero. The twins were born some few months earlier than me. Dad’s third sister, tete Aunty Betty had given birth earlier on, to her firstborn, a daughter named Shelter. Lastly, my paternal uncle Fanuel and his wife Norah were pregnant with daughter Kumbirai. There was a baby boom that year.

When the time came to name the baby, I hear there was a lengthy debate on what name to give the baby. The baby naming was usually done after the umbilical cord had fallen off. I do not understand the traditional rationale behind this ritual; however, that’s how things were normally done in those days. Apparently, after much deliberation they had decided to name the baby Ruth. As news had reached the paternal grandparents in the rural village of Mrewa, they excitedly could not wait to see their new grandchild.

On arrival to the big capital city, they saw the jabbering baby, and as soon as my grandmother laid eyes on me, she overruled everyone and had me named after her. Usually in the African Zezuru culture, it’s quite common that babies are named after respectable older relatives. Unfortunately at times in some cultures, there is a bit of a traditional ritualistic practice which involves the dedication of the baby to dead ancestors. Even though I will never know for sure, I solemnly hope nothing of the sort was carried out when I was born, because my paternal grandparents were devoted Christians. Nevertheless, God is in control, whatever happened; he said in his Word, I knew you by name before you were born and it is I who put you in your mother’s womb (Isaiah forty four verses one to two). God also said, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and expected future (Jeremiah twenty nine verse eleven).

When it was time to get me my birth certificate, my dad relayed to the officials the wrong birthdate, which was his date of birth, the 29th of September. I later found this out because my mum told me when I was a lot older, and when I found out, it was too late to do anything about it, so I have just since lived with the knowledge that all my formal documents relay the wrong birthdate for me. I therefore celebrate my birthday twice, meaning if you forget my birthday, chances are, you are still okay to say happy birthday to me the day after without offending me.

At the time of writing this book, I am a businesswoman aged 53, with interests in the advancement of Zimbabwe’s infrastructure. I therefore communicated to Sir Richard Branson with an email as follows: I am looking into the development of the transport system by air, road, and railway. There is a great need of improving these mentioned areas in Zimbabwe, Africa, and I believe you can be of assistance if the right procedures are followed.

Professional Background:

I studied A levels in geography and economics in 1979 and did a business diploma in imports, exports, and buying for international trade in 1980. I worked for the Ministry of Trade and Commerce as a registry clerk from 1981 to 1983. I moved to the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture 1983 to 1986 on the same level as a registry clerk.

In 1986 to 1989, I joined Fadco Pvt Ltd as a marketing assistant in international trading. By the time I left this company, I had won several contracts to supply some medical supplies to the government medical stores of Zimbabwe. I then joined Findahl SPRL in 1989 to 1992 as an assistant manager still in the international trade section. In the meantime, I started my own business for the manufacturing of protective clothing to supply to the mining industries of Zimbabwe. I went full-time into my own business, which was called Livingworks Pvt Ltd, in 1992. Something went wrong in 1993 as the business started to fail, and I was compelled to move to South Africa for better opportunities. I lived in South Africa from 1993 to 1996, where things did not work for me to my satisfaction. I returned to Zimbabwe and worked for a year at Sirdc Research Company as a cleaner in 1997 to 1998.

I realised I was not making any headway in my profession, and I took time to do a personal review. I then decided to move to the United Kingdom to study nursing. I trained for an adult nursing DipHE in 2001 to 2003 at the University of the West of England. On qualifying, I worked for the NHS Gloucester Royal Hospital as a staff nurse from 2004 to 2009. I found my working environment to be very stressful; I then decided to go back into business, where I felt that I really belonged. I have been in business since. My business operations are as follows:

- Suppliers for solar products such as solar mobile phone chargers, lanterns, torches, etc.

- Suppliers for building and plumbing materials

- Suppliers for industrial and finished chemicals

- Cleaning services and cleaning material supplies

- Suppliers for electrical and phone cables

- Suppliers of fire equipment and accessories

- Farming of maize crops and sugar beans

I have done business with Young and Gilling Estate Agency, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, contracting in end-of-tenancy cleaning services.

I am a resident in the United Kingdom, but currently I am in Zimbabwe for a while to see how I can take part in the economic development of my country of origin.

Social Background:

I married the late Mr Solomon Chirigo in 1981 to 1984. We had two lovely daughters, who are both fortunately happily married and have professions of their own. I am currently single, waiting for Mr Right. I am a born-again Christian with interests in also upgrading the average person through Christian activities. To mention but a few, I am working with a church pastor in a rural village of Mrewa District.

It is the desire of Pastor Isdore Sabocha of the Family of God Churches to see the development of Mrewa District ward 17 in the following areas:

1 Repairing of a 17-km peg road

2 Building of the elders’ house

3 Building of the pastors’ house

4 Building of the 1500-seater church building

5 Building of a secondary school

6 Building of a hospital (my interest)

There are about ten provinces with several rural districts in Zimbabwe and it will be good if each district could have such a development.

Economic Policy of Zimbabwe:

In Zimbabwe, there is an economic policy for foreign investors to work with local companies for the development of Zimbabwe with 51 percent share of the proceeds to go to the local company and 49 percent to the foreign investor. They call this development, indigenisation.

Things to Note and Business Proposal:

I have personally read your book; please forgive me, I cannot recall the title, but it was one of your short book biographies, which was listed at our NHS library for the six-books reading challenge. I have read about your businesses on the Virgin website and I watched your TV interview with Piers Morgan. I wish to let you know that you are my role model and I would like to invite you to work together in the indigenisation economic development of Zimbabwe. Should you find yourself interested, you can mention the areas where you would like to work with me, then I will commence to write projects in those areas.

I wish you long life to achieve all your dreams and I look forward to work with you in the development of Zimbabwe and I assure you to do the necessary legal work for us to develop this part of the world.

I am therefore waiting to hear from you soon with a favourable reply.

Regards,

Elizabeth Nhau

For Livingworks Services / Zoost Traders

At school going age of seven years, Elizabeth had two younger siblings. I was the third-born, and Mum had a miscarriage after me. I was too young to remember, but this really devastated my parents, particularly my father in such a way that if he would want to swear he would do it from the grief of that miscarriage. However, the fifth-born is Ezekiel, Itayi, who was named after paternal granddad, then Silas, Mafara, who was named after my father. Before Silas was born, my carer traits were noticed one day when my mother had gone with us to her roadside secured field in Hatfield, which is a residential suburb within the city of Harare, as Mum was busy weeding the maize field; when the three-month-old baby Itayi started crying, she found me busy feeding the baby some buns. Fortunately, the baby was rescued before he could choke. At one stage, probably at the age of five, I took Mum’s knitting needles and started knitting, and when I was asked what I was making, I told them that I was knitting a jumper for Crispin. Mr Crispin Chibanguza, who was the second son to my paternal aunt, Mrs Chinake, suffered a political death through the gallows, at the hands of the Smith colonial regime. I grew to be very close to him as he noticed my love for him at that tender age, and his death left a scar within the entire Nhau/Kadenge and Chibanguza clans, which no one was able to erase. This carer spirit I have noticed in Thokozani, my first daughter, whom we call Thoko, who used to assist me to put my breast’s nipple in her younger sister Thandazani’s mouth at breastfeeding. The same carer spirit spilled onto my first granddaughter, Thoko’s child Shekinah, who used to bottle-feed her junior sister Sion; you had to keep an eye on them lest the baby would choke.

I was enrolled for primary school at Mutasa Government Primary School in Highfield. Mrs