The Sunday Mail
Mtandazo Dube —
Imagine walking several kilometres to and from school every day. Now, picture having to walk that distance barefoot. It is not that hard to imagine some of us have done it. Most Zimbabweans have a relative somewhere who has walked barefoot or is walking shoe-less to school in this day.
It is no secret that in most parts of rural Zimbabwe, uniforms are a luxury, most of the pupils are in unmatched, worn out clothes and walk unshod on frozen ground. Only last week, the meteorological department recorded ground temperatures of minus two degrees Celsius in some parts of Zimbabwe.
What a harrowing experience for thousands of young Zimbabweans out there. But one man, who himself experienced this life, only getting to wear leather shoes at secondary school while doing Form Three, has undertaken to change all that, one pupil at a time.
The “Donate-a-Shoe” campaign, which first covered over 400 hard-bitten feet with shoes in Murewa on January 25 this year, has put priceless smiles on hundreds of children monthly ever since.
What started as a simple Facebook campaign for a handful of students from a primary school in Murewa has now evolved into a national campaign. Over 12 schools and about 2 000 pupils have benefited.
The Sunday Mail Society caught up with the brains behind the campaign, Fagio Marowa, who revealed that the philanthropic work was purely accidental. Marowa, who confesses that the barefooted kids remind him of his younger self, said it had since become his passion as he can relate with the disadvantaged children.
He said despite the obvious dangers like stepping on sharp objects, thorns and ramming their feet unintentionally against rocks and other objects, the kids risk diseases, especially when they use the mostly unsanitary pit latrines at school.
The sharp-edged rocks and thorns of rural Murewa was the unforgiving rather cruel universe for Marowa as he grew up. He understands too well the effect of zero-degree temperatures to one’s feet and what that can do to a pupil’s concentration in class.
Said the philanthropist: “I did not plan to do this. I was elected chairperson of our old students association last year. When we went for the prize-giving day that is when we realised that the issue of school uniform particularly shoes was a problem.
“After posting the pictures from the prize-giving ceremony, the response was overwhelming. Well-wishers selected pupils from the photos and elected to buy them shoes. That is when we got ambitious.”
Marowa said the objective was just to buy school shoes for all disadvantaged pupils at his former school, Kaseke Primary School.
“Our aim initially was just to buy a pair of shoes for every pupil at my former school, who did not have shoes. Over 400 students from Kaseke Primary School and the adjacent secondary school benefited from the initiative.”
And what began at Marowa’s former primary school, in Murewa, started spreading like wildfire.
“Upon hearing the news of what had happened at Kaseke, another primary school contacted us. We went there to assess and as we were doing that another school from Mt Darwin got in touch and again we went to assess the situation.
“To date we have donated to over 10 schools in Mt Darwin, two schools in Murewa and one in Hurungwe. We have also helped children in orphanages and many others that we just identify as needing help.”
Marowa’s impoverished background, where he watched his mother toil in various menial jobs to put food on the table, instructs his new found passion.
“My father was born in 1918 — so by the time I was born in the ’80s he was no longer able to work and provide for us. It was my mother, who did odd rural jobs that put food on the table, otherwise things like school uniform were a luxury,” said Marowa, who had to hold back a choke and tears as he narrated his story.
“I understand the consequences of being poor, not having a proper school uniform or shoes. We have brilliant minds in this country but sometimes we may miss that because the kid’s confidence has been killed by a lack of proper but simple things like a full school uniform. I believe that every student, if possible, should dress well when going to school so that we realise their full potential.”
The 33-year-old said the response he has received so far was overwhelming such that even if he wanted to stop’ it would be impossible. He has since registered an organisation, Tinoda Trust, whose mandate is to source shoes, especially school shoes.
“There are many people and organisations that would want to help but they cannot give to an individual, that is why we registered a Trust so that there is absolute transparency.”
He said while corporates and other organisations have helped most of the donations had come from individuals. However, he believes Government should also chip in.
“Government must make this a law stating that all children must not only get an education but have a right to decent clothing including school shoes.
I know how much of a confidence booster it is to wear a decent school uniform and proper shoes. Kids enjoy being at school when all their things are in order. I felt the same in my time and I know they feel the same, I have spoken to them,” Said Marowa.
He added: “The relegation starts from the treatment you get from your teachers. You never get sent for special duties or get considered for any position at school no matter how sharp you are. Because you would be looking scruffy and dirty, they would probably think if you do not steal then you would be a bad role model anyway.”
Early this year, a number of musicians staged a gala event in support of the initiative to source footwear for disadvantaged children. The gala saw more than 30 musicians participating.
Themed; “Mwana Wako Mwana Wangu”, entrance into the show was a pair of shoes or more.
Marowa and team are targeting to cover at least 15 000 less privileged school-going children this year in all the country’s 10 provinces. He runs a consultancy firm and is also into printing. He is married and has two kids, a boy and a girl.
