Retired Baker, 67, Returns To School For Advanced Level At Gumbonzvanda

As a child, his foster parents could not afford to send him to school, forcing him to drop out after completing Grade Six.

Determined to continue his education, Njara supported himself by taking on various menial jobs, and saving money until he was able to return to school. Said Njara:

I remember I was doing Grade Six in Malawi when I stopped school. I started doing menial jobs in other people’s homes and managed to save money to go back to school. It worked.

During the holidays, I would travel to Lake Kazuni (Malawi) to buy fish for resale. It also worked and I managed to complete Grade 7.

Njara later relocated back to Zimbabwe, where he enrolled for secondary education at age 27. He said:

I returned back to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and went straight to Wedza, where my father was staying. I wanted to enrol for Form 1, but I was blocked due to my age. I had to go for Form 2 in 1983 at the age of 27.

In 1986, I sat for my O Level examination and only passed Agriculture. The reason for my failure was that I was doubling school and pastoral work.

My father then took me to Wedza High School at Wedza Centre and I passed five subjects. I only failed Mathematics and English.

Njara then moved to Murambinda, where he worked at a bakery and acquired certificates in bakery and confectionery over time. 

However, due to Zimbabwe’s well-documented and prolonged economic challenges, the bakery where Njara was employed eventually closed down, prompting him to return to his home.

Undeterred, Njara seized the opportunity to start his own bakery shop at the Gumbonzvanda Shopping Centre.

Concurrently, Njara attended Biology lessons and sat for the final examination, which he successfully passed. Said Njara:

My wife would laugh at me, but this did not deter me from attending lessons. The good thing is that Biology has worked so efficiently in our farming life.

For example, our chicken project has boomed due to cross-breeding, part of the knowledge I acquired by attending biology lessons.

Njara’s deep passion for learning and education is evident in his life choices. He married at the mature age of 34, and he now has three children and three grandchildren.

Driven by his love for books and academic pursuit, Njara is currently enrolled in Advanced Level studies, focusing on the subjects of Biology and Crop Science.

He plans to sit for the public examinations in 2025, further expanding his educational achievements. Said Njara:

I am doing this at home. I could have enrolled at Gumbonzvanda, but there are some people who called me promising scholarships for me to study Health Sciences at tertiary level.

A professor at a university in Zambia has offered to provide him with a scholarship, while others have pledged to enrol him in a nursing school.

Njara said he desires to become a nurse or pursue a career in the health field.

More: Pindula News