Sometimes I wonder that maybe I should stop being radical, and start being practical. But my life is too practical...practically real.

I am actually writing this out of great frustration. Although this is partially a rant, it's also a reality check. As they say in my native tongue, kuwonesana (to give clarity). Eish, right now I'm thinking of my gogo who sometimes says, kunzima emhlabeni (life on earth is hard). Uyazi, ugogo wayeqinisile. (Grandma was right). But being the strong, black woman, whom I've been socialised to be, I don't cry about the trials of this life. I pick myself up, and move away from the scene of the accident. And move forward.

And that's how you make lemonade from lemons. Right about now, I feel like making Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' my background sound as I write this. Lemonade, something I know all too well as a black, African woman. Let's add single mother to the mix, shall we.

Sigh. I'm here because, of late, I have been hitting the wall. Nothing sucks as being told that,"You are not fit for the role", or "We are looking for etc., for that particular role" yet you verily know that you are more than capable. To let you into my career journey, I began formerly working at 18 years old. Yes, you read that right. It was out of necessity. Both my parents are late, my guardians did the best to their capacity, but baby girl had to find her own way in the world. Later, I had a child, meaning it was no longer about just me. But one thing I knew, I had to work to eat, and feed. The natural course of life is, one passes A-level (or Matric), takes a degree program, graduates, and lands their dream job, right?

Welcome to a new narrative where you don't pursue passion, but you become passionate about what you pursue. Being Zimbabwean has taught me to keep your eye on the prize, do what you have got to do, and make the best of it. There's a form of transportation called 'mshikashika'. These are usually small private cars that are very fast, in terms of efficiency per se, tend to be risky, and considered illegal because they usually operate in undesignated places. I'm not going to delve into the nefarious or uncouth aspects of these mshikashika, but rather look at them as the DNA of being a Zimbabwean. The hustle! And the unconventional career guidance teacher.

With the global economy on the decline, as many corporations continue to downsize employees for one reason, or the other, it's no surprise at how African countries would be affected. For over two decades Zimbabwe has been an economical anomaly, including having a large portion of the nation with trillions of dollars (local currency) in their bank accounts. Y'all know that we should have made the cover of Forbes 'billionaires' back in '08. According to the Trading Economics global macro models and analysts, the unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is expected to reach 7.80 percent by the end of 2024.

Currently, we have several professionals seeking the 'greener pastures' as care workers in the United Kingdom, and other countries seeking foreigners. In Zimbabwe today, over 90% of graduates struggle with unemployment, according to the most recent statistics. Many find themselves pursuing careers they never planned for due to lack of opportunities.

And back to the mshikashika. Through conversation, I discovered that a number of the mshikashika drivers and touts actually have professional qualifications, or even at one point in time were formally employed. But life. This life that throws you lemons when all you wanted was oranges to make your nice Mazowe crush. Hmm. You see, when a Zimbabwean looks for opportunities, they look at the bottom line. Can this help feed my family? It's beautiful to romanticise passion, long-term goals, and fitting into moulds, but that hasn't been us for the longest time. We make lemonade - think of the mshikashika.

In the face of adversity, Zimbabweans have embraced entrepreneurship and witnessed a surge in small to medium corporations. These businesses are often driven by individuals who, like me, found themselves pursuing careers they hadn't planned for or were not formally qualified for. Or most commonly, couldn't find employment. Yet, armed with determination and resourcefulness, they have thrived.

From a personal standpoint, I built my career out of necessity and less of passion. I have become passionate about what I do over time. And with every skill, I use it to help me reach one step further towards achieving something sustainable. Note the keyword, 'sustainable'. Does it mean that there's no room to learn? There's lots of room for personal development, and growth, because as it is ingrained in us, like most Africans, we enjoy the bragging rights of a master's or doctorate. We, too, want to be at the executive level of large corporations, but the truth is, pakatoshata, vana vanoda kudya (It's real! We need to feed our families).

The one thing that I know about hunger, it will drive one to work very hard. I'm way past my potential phase in this career game, I'm here to give my 110%, with the aim of a return on investment. There's a former colleague of mine, who boldly stated, "I'm here to make money." Spoken like a true Zimbabwean. No romanticism about passion, but she always gets the work done, and she loves her job.

My real dream job was to be a housewife to a rich man, but I failed. (Laughs sarcastically). So I had to go for plan B. Look for employment. My next step was to use my writing to open other doors. I then became a digital marketer, at times a broker, and now slowly a retailer. Like my former colleague said, "I'm here to make money." Now that, I can do with lots of passion, especially when I put my mind to a role, or skill. Growing up in Zimbabwe taught me the importance of resilience - our culture is built on overcoming obstacles through hard work and the right attitude.

In a world that often places too much emphasis on qualifications, it's time we recognize the power of attitude. Sure, academic degrees have their merits, but they don't always paint the full picture of a candidate's potential. I've seen first-hand the transformative impact of individuals who possess the right attitude - those who are hungry to learn, grow, and give their 100% each and every day. I have a friend who is now a fully fledged, successful business owner after years of hustling.

My journey, like that of many Zimbabweans, continues to be an unconventional one, filled with unexpected twists and turns. But it is precisely these experiences that have shaped me into a resilient, adaptable, and hungry individual ready to conquer any challenge. So, I don't know what it is to be 'fit', but I understand what getting things done looks like. I pray that my gogo's prayers reach the heavens, and maybe one day, I will be where I need to be. But for now, just like the mshikashika, sizoyenz' iplan. (We make a plan).

#AMAKAReferral

#ReferralProgram