The Sunday Mail
SHE grew up watching talk shows like the Oprah Winfrey Show and 3 Talk with Noeleen — now she is the queen of her own talk show, Orbit International Youth Talk Show. Orbit International is broadcast on ZTV every Monday. The Sunday Mail Society’s Chelsea Moyo (CM), last week had a chat with Unique Zimuto (UZ), who has young people at heart.
CM: Who is Unique Zimuto?
UZ: Unique Chiza Zimuto is a 25-year-old young woman who was born and raised in Harare. I am blessed with two siblings, an elder sister who is a social worker and a younger brother, who is a lawyer. I went to Vainona Primary School and Twin Rivers Primary School. I graduated secondary school at St John’s Emerald Hill and then did my A-Level at Ruya Adventist School. Last year was one of those great years in my life as I graduated from Midlands State University with a degree in Development Studies. I am the proud founder of Orbit International Organisation, a non-governmental organisation interested in helping the youth to live up to their dreams and find their voice.
CM: What drove you into this industry?
UZ: I can say it has been a passion since I was a young girl. Growing up I would watch Oprah and Noeleen and dreamt of one day being like them. I remember making my siblings and cousins sit around in the lounge and pretend to hold a microphone on my own show (laughs). They would roll their eyes but surprisingly stick around to watch. I was around 18 when I decided I would be a talk show host and from there, fate took its course and here I am.
CM: What exactly is your talk show about?
UZ: Orbit International launched in January this year. The production of the show was made a success through a partnership with Fine Line Media Trust, a production company. The director O’Brian Mudyiwenyama has played a pivotal role in bringing the show to the small screen. In Zimbabwe we have the Mai Chisamba Show and others that deal with societal problems at large. Orbit International, however, comes in as a space that has a bias towards the youth. I have a passion for the youth and so the show is a platform whereby the youth can take part and voice their opinions. I believe that these young adults are capable of sharing their stories, challenges and ideas in a way that the whole society can learn a thing or two.
CM: How has it been so far?
UZ: We are in the second season and it has been a blast. We kicked off a few weeks ago with guests such as Pokello Nare. We had interesting topics pertaining to gender-based violence. Actually it has been going on well and the response on social media has been remarkable.
CM: Who can be part of the show?
UZ: Any young adult with a unique story to tell can be a guest on the show. All we need is a story that we think will have an impact on the viewers. For example, last season we had a young lady, who survived a cancerous tumour that was eating up her face. Despite her deformed face she has overcome the feeling of shying away from the public and she is studying statistics. It is such stories that help the youth to overcome the victim mentality and make a name they will be remembered for, no matter what the situation is.
CM: What does the future hold for Orbit International?
UZ: We hope to spread our wings regionally and internationally. At the moment I have been talking to some youths in Zambia and Rwanda, and we hope to feature their stories in the near future.
As of now I think there is still a lot of ground to cover in Zimbabwe. Many people have a misconception about the village youth, but they actually have unique stories and ideas that we can all learn from.
CM: Who is your mentor?
UZ: I have three leading women in my life. Femi Oke, who is a journalist with Al Jazeera, she is a tough woman but she leads me in the right direction. My aunt Rudo Boka, who has played a very important role in my life, teaching me the power of negotiation and making me believe in myself. Then there is my mother — an amazing woman. She carries my dream when I am feeling weary and when things seem bleak she has a way of bringing a new idea.
CM: You are involved in various organisations, how do you balance everything?
UZ: I love networking and I love volunteering so how I juggle it all comes down to me compiling a schedule for voluntary work, running the organisation and presenting on the show. I believe that as human beings we are capable of doing anything we want as long as we create time and have a passion for it.
CM: What are your concerns for today’s youth?
UZ: As the young adults of today we are not thinking outside the box and that worries me. We are not creative enough and we are afraid to let ourselves dream big.
Many young people are studying degrees that they don’t even know where to apply them. The fear of the unknown has made many young people close up in a shell and are afraid to break free and show the world what they are capable of.
CM: Any advice for them?
UZ: Firstly, I would like to tell my fellow youths to dream big, be creative and think outside the box. In some cases, tap into areas that have been ventured into before but be daring and build up from the idea.
Don’t give up on your dreams, network and find mentors that will assist you. I always use the quote, “those who dare to dream will be successful”.
