MEET ZACHARIAH
Meet Zachariah the youngest member of our DBS Club.
My name is Zachariah Donerere. I am 25 years old. Here is my story.
I am the third born in a family of four. I have an older brother and sister who are way older than me. My sister is married and my brother does not live with us. I am the one looking after my little brother. Growing up I never knew my Dad. I grew up with my mother here in Bulawayo. Going to school was a big challenge because my mother was not working. She used to go to Botswana and do piece jobs there. That meant long periods away from home. The responsibility of looking after my little brother thus fell on me.
Paying school fees was always a challenge I got help through the government sponsored BEAM (Basic Education Assistance Module) scheme. I also got help from some teachers that took an interest in my education but it was always a struggle. I managed to pass my Advanced level public exams. For a season I managed to get several low paying jobs. These helped me to put food on the table and help my little brother with his school fees.
With time however I lost my job and started a small home based business of buying and selling. I realized that with the current economic decline it would be long or near impossible to get a real job. I therefore concentrated on building my small business. I was very happy when our church connected with Family Hub. I was one of the people that was selected to represent my household in the Discovery Bible Study. We were encouraged to form a group of families that would meet every week to do a Bible Study using the discovery method. I am the youngest in that group. The rest are single moms or elderly grandmothers. I was particularly happy when we were given a small fund to start or boost our small home businesses. At that time, I was selling recharge air time cards for mobile phones. I used the money to expand and include chocolates and sweets. My business has continued to grow from that time. Since then started buying and selling phone accessories. The profit margins are much better. I have always dreamt of having my own shop. I am well on my way to realizing my dream. Early this year I managed to go into a partnership with a friend of mine and now we have opened a small shop together. I have also appreciated the Bible Study that we do. It has helped me to stay grounded in the word of God and to stay focused and hopeful. Thank you to Family Hub.