The Sunday Mail
Harmony Agere
While teachers rarely get plaudits for their work, their job has never been an easy one.
From planning their lessons, preparing notes, marking assignments to dealing with students’ nuisance; the job of a teacher is definitely daunting.Those in the profession say it demands full concentration of one’s faculties.
However, for 42-year-old Mr Solomon Gwengwe who lost his sense of sight in his infancy, teaching comes like a natural habit engraved in him.
Lacking the ability to see has never stood in the path of his career.
Having started teaching in 1997, Mr Gwengwe has been defying the odds and misconceptions as he has for a long time kept his divinity classes in the 100 percent pass rate zone.
While society is used to seeing visually impaired people begging in the streets, Mr Gwengwe’s story is one of extraordinary belief and courage.
Born in Gweru’s humble Senga suburb, he trod a difficult path of education but is today a holder of a Masters of Arts Degree and is one of the best teachers at Nashville High in Gweru.
“I was born and bred in the Old Senga Suburb in Gweru. I can’t remember the exact year when I became visually impaired, but what I know is that I was still below the school going age,” he said recently.
“Life did not come different to me because of two major things. My family was so loving and supportive that I could not feel any difference. Secondly, my late father who was a builder could provide for all my needs such that I grew up like any other child in the family and community at large.”
He then went to Copota School of the Blind and later to Masase Secondary School before enrolling with the University of Zimbabwe for a Bachelor of Arts degree programme.
“When I reached the school-going age, my father sent me to Copota School for the Blind which is located in Zimuto district of Masvingo province for my primary education. After that I then proceeded to Masase Secondary school in Mberengwa district of Midlands.
“I did my Advanced Level at Manama High School in Matebeleland South before enrolling with the University of Zimbabwe for a Bachelor of Arts degree programme.”
Mr Gwengwe’s first challenge as a teacher came in 2007 when he was deployed to Chegato High School in Mberengwa.
As a beginner, things where not really smooth but he soldiered on and even furthered his education during that time.
“In February 1997, I was deployed to teach at Chegato High School where I taught until April 2007. In May of the same year, I transferred to Nashville High School, where I had a very short stint before proceeding to Africa University for my Master of Arts degree programme.
“I re-joined the Nashville High School community in May 2009 where I am currently teaching Divinity Lower Six and Upper Six classes and Shona for the junior levels.”
But how does he manage to handle research, assignments and examinations given the challenges presented by visual impairment?
“My work becomes easy due to the help that I get from my assistant/aid who is on Government payroll,” he says.
“He assists me in almost everything from marking assignments, keeping records and research. My students have been performing extremely well and they have stayed within the 100 percent pass rate most of the times.”
But there are still a lot of impediments to Mr Gwengwe’s work as there is a lack of modern technology devices for the visually-impaired as well as brail literature in schools.
“My major challenge at work is the unavailability of modern technological devices for us,” he said.
On the social side, Mr Gwengwe says he fits in all social activities seamlessly.
He is married with four children and his wife has been one of the most supportive people in his life.
With the money he earns as a teacher ,he is managing to look after his family as well as sending his children to school.
“I am a married man with four children, a son and three daughters. My son, who happens to be the first born, is in his second year at University of Zimbabwe doing a Bachelor of Laws Honours degree. I am very thankful to my wife who is behind all my successes.”
The most touching thing is that while he is the one who may have wanted charity, he is actually giving it to others.
In 2013, Mr Gwengwe founded an association to help people with visual impairment in the Midlands province.
“My focus now is on uplifting the general livelihood of people living with visual impairment in the Midlands province. To that effect, I founded the Midlands Association for the Promotion of Rights and Welfare of the Blind.”
