Tsungirirai Demetria Kambayo
By Tsungirirai Demetria Kambayo
Email address: tsungikambayo@gmail.com
Country: Zimbabwe
Facebook: Tovimba Mlambo
Instagram: -p_ear.l
Worth Noting:
- Tovimbanashe is deeply consumed by her love for poetry. She feels it’s something that lives within her and in every circumstance she faces, for her poetry is the oxygen to breathe and keep up with life.
- I definitely echo the idea of poetry having the healing force to pull all hidden hindrances to get to the top. As an upcoming poetess, she realizes she still have a lot to learn about in the industry. She believes poerty is art that is to say, it is all about how a person expresses themselves which is a lifetime achievement. Surely, art is a way of connecting with your inner self. Getting started and keeping up with consistency is always a challenge for all of us and so it was for her. It took time for Tovimbanashe to discover her talent.
- “When I was still in primary and high school, I used to write motivational letters to my friends whenever they would be facing challenges or when I could tell they were depressed. I also had a journal in which I would write quotes and poems, I believe that was how small I started,” she had to say.
Tovimbanashe Mlambo popularly known by her pen name, Pearl is already a Zimbabwean gem, at 21. She was born on the 28th of March in the year 2000 that is thirteen days after I was born. I now wonder, is it a coincidence that March babies are gifted, hear it from your highness, “You know queens are born in March right?” Of course, I have to agree with her view.
Tovimbanashe is currently studying at University of Zimbabwe pursuing a Science degree in Biochemistry, something I also thought of giving a try but later turned a blind eye to it. Many find it hard to strike a balance between Science programs and Art, but she is an absolute gem. She is multi-faceted and by how she expresses herself, you can surely tell the passion and determination is keeping her up in the game. In answering the how question, to how does she manages school draining work and poetrt,she, had to say,”I have to confess I love both. The two are deeply engraved in my heart. If I am not studying, I will be writing poems and quotes. I usually get inspired to write when I am in a quiet space. Therefore, after my normal school studies, I look for a less chaotic environment for me to get busy with my poetry journal.” What a strategist, I love how organized she is and that focus will definitely sail her through to greater heights. As an Equip Leadership Training Facilitator, there is a particular Chapter about Priorities, where we teach people how important it is to set goals and implement strategies to follow through with the management of time and progress. The Equip worldwide icon, John C Maxwell puts it as,”Clear priorities show you what to do and where to go. People who reach their potential and fulfill their dreams determine and act on their priorities daily.” Real definition of priorities is in what you do on regular basis, meaning your daily habits express what you truly value. It is another lesson to take from Tovimbanashe like the popular quote goes, “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.” Invest your time in preparation, planning, developing strategic ideas to implement your goals into reality.
Tovimbanashe is deeply consumed by her love for poetry. She feels it’s something that lives within her and in every circumstance she faces, for her poetry is the oxygen to breathe and keep up with life. I definitely echo the idea of poetry having the healing force to pull all hidden hindrances to get to the top. As an upcoming poetess, she realizes she still have a lot to learn about in the industry. She believes poerty is art that is to say, it is all about how a person expresses themselves which is a lifetime achievement. Surely, art is a way of connecting with your inner self. Getting started and keeping up with consistency is always a challenge for all of us and so it was for her. It took time for Tovimbanashe to discover her talent. “When I was still in primary and high school, I used to write motivational letters to my friends whenever they would be facing challenges or when I could tell they were depressed. I also had a journal in which I would write quotes and poems, I believe that was how small I started,” she had to say.
It took her courage to finally pursue poerty as she has always been someone who is good at Sciences though there was quite a time she would find herself stuck in between the rocks of choice. “I remember at some point I would feel demotivated simply because I thought my work will never stand out in comparison to those with much experience, talking of poets who pursued Literature all their lives or writing for a career. However, deep down I would still hold on to this belief that one day, my work will be of great sentimental value.” Tovimbanashe had emphasized that the journey is never easy but the right decisions are made only when you have clear values of where you are headed. Talking of decisions, Marilyn Manson puts it as,”A lot of people do not want to make their own decisions. They are too sacred. It is much easier to be told what to do.” Surely, we can say life is a dish of choice. You are responsible for the ingredients you choose.
Choose to make the right decisions. It is always a draining thought to compare yourself to the next person. The idea is never about competition but to do your best in the moment. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, passion will get you to do wonders. -Yo-yo Ma expresses it as, passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.
Often they say show me your friends and I will tell you who you are, without any doubt, Tovimbanashe has a powerful circle of influence. Her friend Mufaro Chinemhute, is her greatest inspiration as she always sees Mufaro as a courageous young lady who goes for whatever she wants. It was because of how she diligently manages her life goals that drove Tovimbanashe into pushing herself into poerty. Indeed it is what you do daily that determines the impact you make in the lives around you. To pinpoint to it, the strength of a woman is determined in how much she is willing to take for her self-worth. With such a dream chaser as Mufaro for a friend, we can tell the future for these amazing young ladies is really bright. This comes as a challenge to all of us that we observe the kind of people we hang around with for it is either a downgrade or an upgrade.
The best way to predict the future is in creating yourself. As a poet who is still in the making, Tovimbanashe aspires to be a famous author with a dozen of inspirational and motivational poetry books along with the best love poetess of all time title. Considering the worth in her pursuit, she envisions herself as a great female poet Scientist ever imagined in the next few years to come. As she is working on striking a balance between the two she is certainly not limited to express the poet in her though pursuing Biochemistry for a career. With as much influential power poetry has though looked down upon by many is concerned, she suggests that besides promoting each other’s works, we can aim at establishing poetry institutions, hold online campaigns along with competitions that can help increase awareness for uplifting poetry in Africa. For sure, it is change with us, by us, for us!
Like she mentioned earlier, the journey is never an easy one. Therefore as a poet, Tovimbanashe faces a number of challenges just like any other artist but the one that stands out to worry her the most is finding it quite discouraging to be in a space where the crowd imposes a lackadaisical attitude towards poet. “Only a few of my friends and associates appreciate poetry,” she had to sadly express herself. That is how is for all of us who try to create change, the road is full of rejection and other draining obstacles but taking all that for an affirmation will do a great deal. Prove them wrong! Go your way, along the way as you make progress they will definitely join in with you for it is value that attracts people. Having been writing a number of poems in her own space, Tovimbanashe has not yet participated in any anthologies. To add to it, this implies that she is not yet a published author. However, it is so pleasing that I join in her writing journey, in making her publishing dream a reality. Dear readers, below is her topnotch poem entitled “To you,” take a look! I love the powerful message addressed in it on how important it is to open up when you find yourself having depression and suicidal thoughts.
To you.
This is to you who have been keeping it all inside,
In no one,
did you choose to confide in,
Broken, hurt, shattered,
you have been tried,
And for a minute,
the only answer was suicide.
The pain may seem too much to bear,
And no one may seem to care,
But remember!
You’re a warrior,
for every breath you take is a fight,
You’re a victor,
for every morning you wake up is a victory won,
You’re resilient,
for every step you take is a hardship overcome.
Remember,
its okay to scream,
shout and grind if you want,
its okay to weep,
cry and roll over when things get tough,
But when you’re done,
gather yourself up,
fall on your knees,
And seek the true warrior of all battles.
For a while your world may seem to be crumbling, all painful and draining to such an extent that you even lose yourself along the way. “There was a time when I went through a rough patch in my life and in the predicament of it all, I found it useless to appreciate and very difficult to love myself,” she had to point it out how much suffering she had to endure. I can testify to it, that the road appears confusing and all that discouraging with painful events but overcoming those hardships is the only rule to make it to the top. Regardless of all the struggles in her life, Tovimbanashe managed to take it for a change and affirmatively told herself that because she was failing to love herself doesn’t mean she is worthless, she went on to say, “That is why I called myself “Pearl” a name to stand as a reminder of how valuable I am.” After this, I must say, in this month of women celebration, it comes as a worth sharing goal to have something to hold on to that will always alert us as warriors that we survived the worst. In that same regard, I made this quote to recall all that I also had to go through and still stand firm with hope for a better tomorrow. It reads, bruised and wounded women are pretty tough, since they already know they can make it alive. Hear it from Walt Disney who sums it up as the more you like yourself, the less you are anyone else, which makes you unique.
What a woman of value indeed, always there to share treasures with those also trying to stand tall in the world of poetry. This comes as her word of advice to all those who ever wished to be better in any way. The gems say it all,”Pursue what you love without hesitation. If you feel the wind blowing your destiny to the left, run towards the left till you make it.” Pearl went on to propose that it is better to say you tried than live on regrets, there are a lot of good poets out there but they lack courage to express themselves for the fear of stigmatization and being looked down upon. Inspite of all criticism, if you are reading this and you know you have passion for poetry, take courage, be yourself and follow your heart for you will never go wrong. Wise words from our poetess, for sure dreams are created into reality, it takes effort and boldness to execute it all. As we wish all the best for our poet, to all of you who would want to get in touch with Pearl, you can contact her on her social media handles:
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