Collin Nyabadza, Zimbabwe's national Hero!

His service to the children of Zimbabwe crosses tribal boundaries with ease

He was born in Zimbabwe and he is at present resident in Canada. Mr. Collin Nyabadza does not speak about politics because he is not a politician; his main voice if he spoke is service to the children of Zimbabwe. His service to the children of Mathebeleland North is sending a silent but strong message; down with ethnic tensions in Zimbabwe, down with separate development in Zimbabwe. He does that without sound but very loud, "actions speak louder than cheap rhetoric. While all of us talk in theory about implementing projects to remove poverty in most marginalised rural parts of Mathebeleland and Midlands, Mr. Nyabadza has practically sent financial assistance to needy children the past 10 years so that they can pay their fees, books and thousands of school furniture in rural Mathebeleland North.

One would have thought that since he comes from Manicaland, his Charity will benefit the people of that area of his ancestors. Mr. Nyabadza refuses that logic and he says the children of Mathebeleland are the most marginalized, his service will reach out to those who need it most. His annual newsletter of December 2014 put it to the point: "Every child deserves the right to dream and to put those dreams into practice; Poverty should not be a barrier," says Mr. Nyabadza. How many in our midst have moved thousands of dollars to assist a poor child in the rural Mathebeleland?

The Collin Nyabadza Children's Voice Charitable Trust has the motto; "No child shall be put down by poverty." Collin Nyabadza Trust has provided those services that are lacking in the rural schools, books, furniture, and reconstruction of school buildings and making them safe, sinking of boreholes in some school, given scholarships to more a 300 needy children in rural Mathebeleland and most of these children are now nurses, teachers, engineers, and pharmacists. Most these children are from Mathebeleland. Now what does that say to us all, what does that message say to the government that marginalised those areas since independence in 1980, what message is Mr. Nyabadza sending to tribalists in our midst and those people who are confined to speak regional language only?

Mr. Collin Nyabadza is from Manicaland, but he speaks perfect IsiNdebele. He identified himself with the people of Mathebeleland even with their suffering. This is a personality that sees people as people and not their tribal sections and settings in the country. Nyabadza talks about equal opportunities to all children of Zimbabwe, as the children of all tribes and races have the right to access education. When he offers his service he will look at the places that are most in need of that assistance and not their tribe. This selfless service to the poorest and the most vulnerable has distinguished him from most of us. No doubt Mr. Collin Nyabadza loves humankind and he is totally blind to tribalism, he does not even take part in cheap tribalist comments and rhetoric, he lives above those narrowness and co fineness of the little minds of tribalists.

He is silent in words but very loud in his deeds! He does not show signs of ever giving up if he was confronted with serious challenges in his endeavour to serve the children of Zimbabwe. Almost all politicians of Zanu PF still needed to take a deep breath and learn humbleness and service from our hero called Collin Nyabadza. Politics should be service and not personal aggrandisement. Good quality education can be achieved by all children learning in a decent school environment and they should have books and all other necessary school needs to ever achieve sound education and also their potential.

Mr. Nyabadza's heroism comes from the fact that his charity is targeting growing up children who are the future of this great land called Zimbabwe. Those children who were assisted by the Collin-Nyabadza-Charity will never be convinced if they were made to see Zimbabwe and define Zimbabwe political landscape with tribal lenses. Nyabadza's Charity is indeed a corrective of the past, failed politics of Zanu PF to the people of Mathebeleland North. Zimbabwe societies are indeed deep rooted tribalistic and it is for this reason that Zimbabwe's development is on reverse gear. Global politics is talking about inclusion of minorities in all societal developments and not the marginalisation of them in national issues.

Dear Mr. Collin Nyabadza, on behalf of all those children who have benefited from your kindness, thank you very much. We wish you God's blessings. It is indeed the hand that gives that is blessed than the one that receives. Your service and selfless charity in the most marginalised regions of Zimbabwe will give a lesson to all of us, the need to work together as a nation regardless of tribal sections and settings. You are imparting in us the need to see a Zimbabwean child as a child and not as a child from Mathebelelands or Mashonalands or Manicaland. You love children and you respect women; most people will learn that from you that those Zimbabwean women are equal partners and global players of this village, Earth, never to be abused and used by those that still think children and women are second citizens. Education for women and of course children are the basis construction tools of a civilised society. Educate the child and educate the woman!

Our charity organisation; Ntombi Langa e. V. is proud to be an associate of the Collin Nyabadza Children's foundation. We are saying to ourselves, Mr. Nyabadza invented the wheel; there is no need to invent another one. There is a lot we shall learn from his organisation. His guidance will be most appreciated by all who wish to bring change in rural areas of Zimbabwe.  

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Nomazulu Thata <nomazulu.thata@hotmail.com