Binga – my home, my pride!

I come from one of the most remote areas of Zimbabwe – a small town called Binga.It is located in Matebeleland North along the Southern Zambezi Escarpment.It is a hidden gem , an epitome of cultural heritage.A place where morals never go out of fashion, a place where hardwork and dedication are the order of the day.A place where great minds and great ideas are born but not recognised.

I remember when my parents took me to boarding school in Bulawayo which is the second capital city of Zimbabwe.I was so excited to experience new beginnings in a city with robots and tall buildings after spending my primary school years in a secluded area.I met new friends when I got there.Some from humble beginnings and some from prominent homes .Under such circumstances pressure to conform was insurmountable .I mean who wants to hear about a secluded place in the middle of nowhere?At first people would ask where I am from and I’d quickly answer with a smile 😀” I am from Binga”.The reactions I got after that were quiet shocking .Some responded saying “Where is that?”,Some just said “ooh😲 you mean that place where people live in trees with giant baboons!”.

After getting so many different reactions from people I lost confidence in talking about where I am from.l’d just mumble when people popped the question because I wasnt sure of what other reaction I was going to get.Before I left for Bulawayo I was content with that one tarred main road that we have back home.The very small library where we would borrow books from and never return them. The one and only small Agribank which civil servants would board buses for just to get their salaries.In contrast, Bulawayo had so many roads, banks and tall buildings.Of course I am not trying to compare the second largest city of Zimbabwe to a small town in the middle of nowhere.This is me trying to show you how much I felt out of touch with reality , almost like a “Jane- comes- to -town” kinda scenario. Due to Binga’s remoteness, we where always the last ones to catch up with new trends. It got me thinking, where should I really say am from?

Then I came back to myself and I realized that there was something that other fancy places do not have that Binga actually has.Where I am from there are beautiful hot springs which are one of the most untamed natural attractions in the country, hot water literally boils from the ground.It is the only place where a sand beach which stretches for about a kilometre naturally occurs.Where I am from there is a crocodile farm with over 40 000 crocodiles which provides quality meat and skins to local and overseas market .In Binga, fish is our gold.With over 17 fishing co-orperatives, it prides itself in providing fresh tasty fish that people from different destinations in Zimbabwe come to buy for daily consumption and resell .It is a place where basketry, beadwork and woodcarving are almost like inborn skills to the BaTonga people.

Yes! Binga is small ,you can almost know everyone and their business but that’s what makes it easy for us to stick together.I can safely say its remoteness is actually a blessing in disguise because over the years as technology has evolved and the world is constantly mutating- The culture and values of our people have remained unpolluted.For so long we have let perceptions define who we are and yet there is so much more that Binga has to offer.So many untold truths and yet so many myths.For so many years we have tried to fit in, trying to learn other people’s languages because ours is considered a minority language.When we meet in MaShonaland we act like we belong there.In Bulawayo we will bite our tongues trying to speak IsiNdebele so they don’t see we don’t belong with them.Assimilation is slowly becoming a form of art.

Let me tell you something .What makes Binga a home for me is not how many skyscrapers we don’t have but it’s about the great people and the beautiful culture that we actually do have.It remains a place where we celebrate life because of who we are and not what we have.By the grace of God it will become a major tourist attraction in the country when right investors come along, it will develop into one of the major towns but in the meantime let’s embrace our culture because that is our DNA.Binga has so many entrepreneurs, engineers and teachers that the world needs to witness but because of stereotypes, financial contraints and lack of mentorship- they never go far.

I am proud to say I am from Binga.I am not ashamed to speak ChiTonga because that’s a big part of me.If I dont talk about where I am from no one will speak for me.If I don’t confidently talk about the beautiful resources that Binga carries I’ll be robbing her of the glory that she deserves.Nommatter how educated or prominent I may become, home is where the heart is.To all the BaTonga people I want to end by saying;

“ATUSUMPULE BUTONGA BWESU “- let’s uplift our Tonga culture!

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Indispensable or not ?

Have you ever loved someone so much that you think you cannot do without them?Have you ever loved someone so much that you love them even more for every bad thing they do?Have you ever loved a person so much that you come out of your comfort zone just so you can keep them?The question is , how far can you go to keep that one person?

If there is one thing I have learnt in all my years of existence,it’s the fact that you can never force someone to love you.As women ,at times we try so hard to keep the ones we love but it only comes back to hit us in the face.Sometimes you will try so much to impress him but still, “man’s not hot”.Is he really worth all that trouble?Is he indispensable?

Let’s say for instance, you meet a guy that you like and he likes you back but take of note this ; he is nothing like you.Its not a secret that we as women sometimes have a weakness for “bad boys”.We leave the good ones by the side walk while we go around chasing the bad ones.So, even after seeing the red light you still go on and date him because you believe that you can change him into what you want him to become.As time goes on you will realize that there is so much more that needs to be changed about him.You can even see for yourself that there is no future with him but you still convince yourself that he is worth the pain.Can you really change him?

So here’s the thing; change begins in the mind.As long as that person you want to change so much doesn’t decide for himself that he wants to change ,then you are wasting your time.As time goes on ,while you are busy trying to create a whole new being you will realize that you have lost your principles, your dignity and self respect to keep that one person .Try to clean a pig and keep it inside the house, it’s only a matter of time before it goes back rolling in the mud again.Why? That is its nature.Sooner or later you will start to become like that person and you lose your identity.When you hear people asking ,” what happened to you?”, just know that you need to change lanes.

In a world made up of 7.6 billion people, 3.8 billion are man.Dont you think there is a man out there that you don’t need to create for yourself because God specifically tailored one for you?I am the kind of person who would rather buy orange juice than make my own.Why do i have to go through the trouble of buying a blender and oranges to make my own.The manufacturer of that orange juice has all the necessary preservatives, colourants and sweeteners to make it taste good.Ask yourself this , If you try to create a man for yourself, is he going to be as good as the one that God has already created for you?Food for thought!

I just want to tell all the beautiful strong ladies out there that there is only so much we can do for love.If you are not married to that person yet then don’t settle for less.You deserve to be loved as much as the girl next door .Stop pleasing a man who cannot see you.Stop trying to change a man that only God can change.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton