Since the death of Adam Ndlovu was announced, I am touched to imagine what his family must be going through. I was moved like many in the world. I kept hearing though that when this accident happened there was also a 24 year old woman who died in the same car. A day or so after, I learnt from a young woman via inbox Facebook that some Zimbabweans had posted many nasty things on the news sites many of which were directed to this young woman. How sad and in our culture it is a taboo to be this disrespectful.
I do not stop on one side of the story and so I researched on who exactly Nomqhele Tshili was. First point of call I googled her. As you know even what I google about someone and especially posted by another unreliable source is not what I take with full heart. I went to her Facebook page and luckily she was a friend of one of the young women on my page. I followed her page since she opened it and from there I came up with the following story.
Nomqhele Tshili was a single mum and her daughter`s photo in uniform is the first to capture my mind since I work for girls. She is her mum`s exact duplicate-look alike. I just thought how people could so easily not choose to send condolences to a nine year old girl and choose to attack her deceased mum. In all her status updates she sounded a very spiritual young woman who uses the bible to seek for answers and it looks like she posted something that made her stay strong one of which is, `Lord Jesus you are the pillar that holds my life.` Later on, as I scrolled down her Facebook page I realised she was in fact a graduate in Bible Studies.In following her daily posts on Facebook I discovered like many young women she had challenges but she was so determined to forge ahead with her life and she posted `It’s time to let go of e past, before it affects e future. Gudnyt people.` What I like about Nomqhele Tshili is that always she found reason to move ahead with her life and all her postings show exactly she self motivated herself daily. She wanted the future to be best which many of us do not think about.
As one reads deeper into her thoughts I shared deep sadness when she paid tribute to her late mum and the message she posted in May read like `Msng someone who wl alwys b loved. Today its e 9th year since she left m. Wl alwys her, my mum.` This message tells me she lost her mum when she was about 13 years and she might have faced many struggles as an orphaned girl and therefore to have a degree and lead in a church is quite an achievement.
I always try and find out about young women like Nomqhele Tshili. I always want to learn about their daily challenges which many do not talk about. There are many who die in tragic situations like her and society should know these young women may not be heroes like some men with big names but their daily triumphs show heroism. In this young woman, I saw a single mum determined to achieve. I saw a graduate and I saw an orphaned girl who keeps strength. In her case she found the church a place to be and it is now people in her church who will come and celebrate her spirituality.
On behalf of all girls I give strength to her daughter and hopefully all family members will unite and support her till she reaches her potential as a woman leader. One day when her daughter googles she will know women like me paid tribute and wished her peaceful rest. Our heroes are not big names only. Our heroes are young women who struggle daily.
I also say rest in peace Adam Ndlovu and I followed you from way back as you did us proud as a nation. Such heroic deeds leave pleasant memories.
Peter Ndlovu wishing you a speedy recovery.
This article is a direct extract from Betty Makoni's blog!
No comments:
Post a Comment