Girl Child Success Story

The move towards a gender balanced world is a dual effort and it is this appreciation that many women lack. Policy makers can only make it possible for equality to be achieved, but it is women themselves that have to walk the mile and grab the torch that has been lit. It is in the spirit of encouraging such balance that I feature the story of one Miss Nkosinofefe Amanda Bulala, who recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Rural and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe and also scooped the 2017 ARUP ZIMABWE Best Student Award.
Born in a family of four and being the only girl in her family, Miss Bulala was introduced to the adversities of a gender biased society at a very tender age. The constant comparison with her siblings awakened in her an appetite to prove society wrong and do away with the socially accepted notion that girls are somewhat being inferior to boys. She specifically recalls how as a young girl in primary school, coming second to a boy would send her crying as this was some sort of confirmation to what society believed. It is this positive determination that fuelled her ambition throughout the stages of academia and today she smiles as she proudly wears her cap of knowledge.I
The story of even her choice of programme is inspired by the same determination that consumed her as a child. For her, Rural and Urban Planning had a masculine flare that made it challenging and thus the perfect symbol of achievement and so she dived right into it. She does admit, that the first years of her study, she felt she had lost her battle as most male students were comfortably excelling, with girls struggling to keep up, but with her eagerness to be competent she worked harder and eventually caught-up.
As if her constant fight was not harsh enough, things decided to head south for her and the finish line went further away. The economy got harder and her parents could not afford to pay both tuition and accommodation and so she had to commute to school on a daily basis. Also, staying home as a girl child meant she had to do the household chores before leaving for school in the morning and come back early in order to cook for everyone else. This was the toughest time for her she says, “I had to wake up very early in the morning do my chores, take two commuter omnibuses to school and still I was expected to be on time for lectures which all started at 8am. Since we were a small class it was so easy to notice if I had missed class and hence I had to make the impossible possible and manage my time well. After lectures I had little time to work on my dissertation before I has to rush back home to cook and do the dishes.”

However, regardless of all these obstacles and a menacing society Miss Bulala not only managed to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Rural and Urban Planning but came out top of her class this earning her the 2017 ARUP ZIMABWE Best Student Award. At the end of it all she achieved the goal that she had set for herself as a little girl and for this she has God, her parents and siblings to thank for.
Nkosinofefe Amanda Bulala encouraged all the girls that they can make it in life no matter their background.
“To all the girls and young women out there, spread your wings and fly, your background or anything the world throws at you is definitely not a barrier. What someone else can do, you also can do it, sometimes all you need to do is carry the right attitude, push a little bit more and positive vibes all the way,” she said.