Becoming The Muse

Guest Post

How I went to teach English in Mozambique with my grade 7 certificate 😂

So it was back in January 2009, schools were closed, as teachers had not yet returned to work. Things were hard at home and I thought, “Let me help”.  A friend of mine called Tawanda Gerald had told me that in Mozambique you can teach English with only a grade 7 certificate.

Back home l knew my father will not agree to this nonsense. So I quietly asked around on how l will get there.

Come early morning, I took my birth certificate and my grade 7 results which had 1 unit in English. My Grade 7 results slip was my CV😂

Took a 3 A.M bus from Chendambuya to Headlands. I then l took a 6 A.M train to Mutare from Headlands. From Mutare l went kuPenalonga

So kuPenalonga you can cross into Mozambique on foot (kujamba boarder). You follow a small path because it is said “ukaenda nemusango unorohwa nezvimbambaira” (there a landmines in the forest).

When I got to Mozambique haaaa I thought I will be a respected teacher.

To my surprise I was a street kid for 48 hours. I will not tell you about how my mother took my clothes to Masowe for prayers for my return home. When I say l belong to the streets I mean it literally 😂

The next job I then got was to sell soft drinks (your normal coca-cola, fanta etc ) by the road side. Soon I started my own table and became independent selling the drinks on my own in one month.

Hakuna kunoshanda Grade 7 certificate vanhu vaMwari 😂😂 (There’s nowhere you can get a job with simply a Grade 7 certificate!)

I came back home after almost one year of trying to make ends meet. When I say I am a war vet this is what I am taking about. 😂 Everyone in the diaspora who is a Zimbo becomes a friend and a relative.

This was my first diaspora experience.

---

About The Author

Uncle Tony is a graduate from UZ ,working towards becoming a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst who is passionate about helping others achieve their dreams by sharing his life experiences which were mainly characterized by growing up in a poor rural community.