Mbare midwife Esther Zinyoro, (aka Mbuya Gwena), is still operating from her old squalid lodgings at Tagarika flats despite making headlines five years ago.
The traditional midwife came into national focus in 2019 when it emerged that she had turned her home into a maternity ward to help expectant mothers in her neighbourhood.
She rose to fame at a time when medical staff — junior doctors and nurses — were on strike over poor working conditions.
The First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa visited Mbuya Gwena in November 2019 during the week that she had helped deliver 100 babies in her tiny two-room apartment.
Mnangagwa donated foodstuffs and some household goods.
On Thursday Mbuya Gwena told NewsDay that she no longer has a mobile phone and cannot afford one.
She, however, said the First Lady made her work easier as more people now appreciate the work she is doing. She said:
Since the visit, my popularity has increased. I am now known countrywide and the number of people seeking my services has increased.
I really don’t know why they are shunning hospitals and other modern medical facilities by coming here. The visit also liberated me in the way I do my business.
Soon after the visit, Good Samaritans began flocking to assist with several services, and of interest is a man from the Mufakose suburb who started to help with water tanks to help with sanitation issues.
Mbuya Gwena, who is a self-styled prophetess at St John Apostolic Church, said she relies on her God-given talent. She said:
When assisting the women, I use my spiritual prowess and as a result, I have managed to assist even those with complications that would have been difficult at the hospitals.
I even dream about a client’s challenge and how they may need to be assisted to deliver safely.
She has, however, faced resistance from health professionals who claim her activities had taken the country’s health system backward.
The traditional midwife said nurses at Edith Oppermann Clinic resented her and accused her of stealing their clients until she helped them solve a complex situation.
Gogo Gwena insists she is helping people deliver a gift from God.
Born in 1949, she has 10 children and 15 grandchildren.
More: Pindula News