Kudzai S. “I no longer miss my lessons, my fees is paid on time, I am motivated to do well.”

Kudzai was born in 2002 at Mashoko Hospital in Bikita, Masvingo Province. Kudzai lost her parents to HIV/AIDS when she was an infant and she, herself, was diagnosed with the virus when she was seven. Her aunt took her in but she could not afford to pay her school fees as she is an unemployed widow and is taking care of her three other children.

Together, the five of them share three small rooms in Harare’s densely populated suburb of Glen Norah. In 2016, when she was in Grade 7 at Chembira Primary School, Kudzai almost dropped out of school due to not being able to pay her school fees. Like many orphaned and vulnerable girls, she was plagued by continued absenteeism from school and this was severely affecting her grades.

Kudzai was recommended to Tariro by the headmaster of the school. Tariro came on board and has been taking care of her school needs. She performed exceptionally well in her Grade 7 examinations despite having being hospitalised for three weeks prior to writing her examinations.

Kudzai is a well-behaved young girl at home and is keen on helping out around the house. Although Kudzai has health problems, she is a cheerful child and interacts well with others. Kudzai is currently doing Form 1 at Glen Norah High School and is doing very well in all the subjects she is studying. She is active in the Girl Guides club at school and aspires to be a doctor when she completes her education. Kudzai is happy that Tariro has taken her this far. Kudzai is so passionate about becoming a doctor that she is studying her mathematics and science extra-hard so she will be eligible to enroll for the profession.