The Sunday Mail
His parents died before he had even attained the age of 10. The future looked bleak with prospects of completing his education waning. His only hope were his grandparents whose lives were in the clutches of poverty, both peasants in Buhera. Dr Stephen Karimu, now a surgeon and Goromonzi’s district medical officer, looks back and marvels at how his life has unfolded remarkably after First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe stepped in, becoming the benefactor whom he would regard as a mother.
Dr Karimu spoke to our News Editor Morris Mkwate (MM) about the powerful virtues the First Lady has imparted to him, and his drive to extend these virtues to different communities countrywide. Below are excerpts of the interview.
MM: Dr Karimu, your early childhood appeared difficult following the death of your parents. And now you are in medicine, and superintend a large jurisdiction. Tell us about your responsibilities.
Dr Karimu: Makumbe District Hospital, that’s where I’m stationed. But my role is district in perspective. I cover the whole of Goromonzi district, which has three hospitals and 28 clinics. I have an administrator and a clinician. Goromonzi is the biggest district in Zimbabwe in terms of population, with almost 300 000 citizens. We cover Domboshawa, Ruwa, Bhora and Chikwaka.
I have been a district medical officer for Goromonzi for five years now. So far so good, but we have challenges just like other health institutions in the country. The challenge of inadequate funding from central Government; that’s the primary challenge, while others are secondary challenges emanating from inadequate funding.
MM: How did you first meet the First Lady?
Dr Karimu: Actually, I met the First Lady in 1998 during my secondary school education. She educated me through high school, through university until I attained my MBCHB degrees in medicine and surgery at the University of Zimbabwe in 2006.
She actually picked me because of my academic brilliance. There is no relationship whatsoever. It was purely philanthropy on her part when she was able to sponsor my education at St Augustine’s High School.
MM: How was she able to pick this academic brilliance? Was she in the area at the time?
Dr Karimu: What we were doing were inter-school seminars where we would meet sister Anglican schools, write examinations and discuss issues. Then there were recommendations from the panellists. I do not know how it ended up in her ears.
I am not very sure how she then identified me. But I was informed through the school principal that the First Lady was interested in assisting me and I was in Form Two at the time. My (academic) scores were also distinctions throughout.
And by the way, I am not the only one she has assisted. She assists quite a number of people. She picked me from Manicaland, which is where I was educated.
My background also played a part (in the First Lady’s decision to assist). I lost my parents in childhood when I was around eight, nine years old. So, it was a challenge to pay school fees. I lived in my home area of Buhera with my grandparents.
My grandparents were peasants. They would put together this and that to send me to St Augustine’s.
MM: I know you were still young then, and perhaps it would be difficult for you to recall. But what was the feeling when you first learnt that the First Lady was going to assist you throughout your education?
Dr Karimu: It was unbelievable! And from that very day, I have felt the need to at some point, one day, be able to pay her back. The only way I thought of doing so was to perpetuate her desire to assist people in the community.
We have actually formed an organisation which is providing medical care for free. The organisation was formed on July 23 this year, Amai’s birthday. It was my idea, with input from other trustees.
We did our first outreach at Chishawasha, St Joseph’s, on Friday last week. This first outreach was oversubscribed. We saw 500 patients whom we treated, provided with drugs and also providing with after-care treatment.
The organisation is called Friends of Amai Mugabe Children’s Trust. It is made up of trustees, people who have been assisted by Amai Mugabe. As I mentioned earlier, I am not the only one, there are several of us, in different fields.
So, it is made up of trustees who then mobilise resources and provide medical care under the outreach programme. The idea is to do it weekly. Last week, we were at St Joseph’s; next week we will be at Bhora (Juru).
We are covering everything (all ailments). Our group comprises of 10 doctors and there are two specialist doctors. So for specialist care, we then refer to the consultant doctors. We have backbone staff and then we hire the service staff.
MM: Providing free medical care is by any standards taxing philanthropic work. What would you say is the value of the resources put into this initiative?
Dr Karimu: It is very difficult to quantify. It is invaluable. Most of the resources come from us, the trustees. However, we have had support from the corporate world where others are providing medical equipment and drugs to use during the outreach.
MM: You mentioned that you learnt this philanthropy from the First Lady and that several others benefited from her benevolence. What are the others involved in?
Dr Karimu: The medical outreach is the backbone programme. However, we are also into social services. For instance, when we go to a clinic, we assist in refurbishment after using the facilities. We assist in painting, provision of medical equipment, among other things.
We also noted from our first outreach that some clients do not have accommodation. So, we intend to have an extension where we go into the community and refurbish their homes because some diseases emanate from poor shelter; poor water and sanitation. We want to spread our tentacles to all those fields.
The initiative is national in outlook. We have a schedule that runs until December, covering essentially the whole country.
MM: The First Lady has helped many people, including you. How would you describe her?
Dr Karimu: She is principled. She has passion for people, and she is also highly religious. Essentially, that is everything about her: philanthropic, religious . . . she feels for people. She has genuine love for people, which is embedded within her.
I have been able to detect these distinct traits through the several engagements I have had with her at a very personal level and these are principles that she has actually imparted to me and others she has assisted. That is what we now do; try to act as an extension of the principles she represents. She is a mother figure, and she is actually the patron of this Friends of Amai Mugabe Children’s Trust. We formed it as a birthday gift to her.
Looking back, I lost both parents. She has ably filled that void. I do not feel orphaned anymore because of the role she has played in my life. As I was growing up, she provided school fees, even school uniforms. I was a boarder, so school fees is everything. And these principles: these were the guiding campus that then saw me through, given the community that I grew up in.
The idea is to also give. It is not good to receive all the time. There are people who are in need, who I appreciate from a personal and professional point of view.
There are people who are in need and there is a lot of joy in assisting. So, within the small pockets of spaces we occupy, let’s make a difference.
MM: Are you married now?
Dr Karimu: Yes, I am married.
MM: As per tradition, did you also take the bride to meet the First Lady, your mother?
Dr Karimu: The First Lady is everything in this whole picture. On my wedding, she will be the main person there.
MM: She also has an orphanage in Mazowe, making her a mother of more children.
Dr Karimu: I have been there, toured the place and it is impressive. It is the only one of its kind in Africa. You can’t distinguish (in her interactions with the children) whether she is a surrogate or biological mother. She just fits into that role, and it is natural to her.
It’s a proper mother-child relationship. They do not see her as the First Lady. They see her as a mother; in the same way a person would view their biological mother. And she is straight and focused regarding the way she wants them to be brought up — issues of education, good health, cleanliness, principles and discipline.
MM: The First Lady is your mother. Has President Mugabe featured in the picture?
Dr Karimu: Yes. He has been the father, naturally. We should appreciate he is a very busy man, but I have had chances to engage with him at a personal level. I remember in 2008, when the First Lady came to Harare Central Hospital, I had a chance to sit down and talk to him, together with Amai.
We discussed issues to do with principles, how he expected me to evolve into a man — maintain your principles, be prepared to serve your country, and these are the principles that are guiding us today.
MM: Looking back at where you were before the First Lady’s intervention and now. . .
Dr Karimu: The transformation is obvious; everything’s comfortable now. What I cherish most are the principles; the desire to be of help to people who are less-privileged. You can’t value that. It’s invaluable.
