My name is Lameck Mhondi and I shall turn 23 on 31st October. My mother died when I was two years old and I was raised by my aunt up to Grade 7. My father married another wife in 2009 and she gave birth to Angeline Mhondi (my young sister). After my grade 7, I started staying with my father until I was in Form Four but he wasn’t able to pay school fees because he could only just afford food for us. So sometimes I had to work in the school grounds to cover my fees. Life was not easy with my stepmother. I joined the BEAM (government organisation which pay fees to the less privileged pupils) and managed to write 10 subjects for O level. BEAM cleared all my debts and I managed to pass 9 subjects. My life was hard after O level without hope to go for A level. Even managing two meals a day was not that easy. I met Sister Juliet on St Patrick’s Mission and she helped me to apply for Tariro’s help. Tariro sent me to A level; everything was provided (uniforms, stationary, food, accommodation, to mention just but a few.) Recently I applied for a laptop and a printer and I received it through our administrator who is always there for us when we are short of supplies. My life is changing now. We (Angeline and I) were now going to vocational guidance holidays.

I wrote my A level through Tariro and am now at a college supported by Tariro. I am doing a Diploma in Agriculture at Black Forby College and I hope to own my farm after college so that I will implement what I am studying on the ground. It is also my wish to plough back into Tariro so as to raise other less privileged members of society in the future.

Everything is fine for me now. I am happy that Tariro encourages equality of all; there is no discrimination in Tariro. I have learnt a lot of things through Tariro. Even my vertical relationship with God has grown through Tariro, now I am going to church and I know how to pray because of Tariro.

Special thanks to the body of Tariro For Young People Trustees and Father N. Stebbing