Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed for our blog. Your style and work ethic are truly amazing. You are a true inspiration to all women. You inspire me to do more, be more and above all give something back.
Let’s start by talking about a subject so dear to your heart. Just the thought of your story about your mother brings tears to my eyes. Tell us about how you turned a painful experience into something good?
From a
very painful experience which my late mother, my family and I endured, came the
birth of the Elizabeth Chanakira Cancer Trust (ECCT) in May 2011. The
journey I have taken to form the ECCT has not been easy. The seed was planted when in 2003, my mother,
Elizabeth Chanakira, received her first diagnosis of breast cancer. From then
on she received two more diagnoses. She passed away on 23 December 2010 by
which time the cancer had spread to all her major organs.
I was living in Birmingham, UK when she first told me
over the phone from Zimbabwe that she had cancer. I remember how scary it was
and the fear was exacerbated by the fact that I realised straightaway that most
of my family and I knew nothing about cancer; particularly because in Zimbabwe
we didn’t hear much about it, for example, in the media. As time went on, we came to see how
exorbitant the costs were in relation to treatment, resorting to selling
certain household items and extended family helping, so that Mum could pay for treatment. I always wondered how Zimbabweans without the choice managed, particularly
those in the high density and rural areas of Zimbabwe. It just seemed highly
unfair to me.
As time went on and I researched more about cancer, I
found out from the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry (Annual Report 2010) that
cancer is currently the leading cause of death in the country, even above
HIV/AIDS. Yet there is limited awareness and wider access to funding for the
majority of the population who cannot afford treatment.
This disease is bigger than Zimbabwe, it is affecting Africans
and those in developing countries on a serious level i.e. cancer is the leading
cause of death globally, with the World Health Organisation stating that more
than 70% of cancer deaths occur in developing countries, particularly in
sub-Saharan Africa.
The Elizabeth Chanakira Cancer Trust:
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| Logo design Quartz Marketing UK |
1. Raises awareness of cancer amongst
Zimbabweans
2. Raises awareness of natural health & fitness as a way of reducing cancer
3. Fundraises to donate money for
cancer-related treatment for disadvantaged Zimbabweans.
Describe
your career, what exactly do you do?Even though I hold a Law degree & Master of Laws, my career path has been totally different, but I still use many of the skills I obtained during my studies in my current work eg writing, research, communication skills etc. I am definitely born to be a Creative and as such, I pursue various avenues to unleash my passion.
I am a Freelance Writer and write for several publications.
I have a Fashion column, ‘Teurai’s Take’, in an Australian magazine, Afrimarque; a Health & Lifestyle column on Faraitoday
and write for the Zimbo Jam, a Zimbabwean online Arts &
Cultural website. I have a personal blog where I write
about various social issues and feature inspirational people from all over the
world.
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| T-shirt by Terrie Gunz |
I have been a Print Model since 2009 and you can see more of
my modelling work here.
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| Photo credit:Timecapture Photography Outfit:Model's own |
I founded the Elizabeth Chanakira Cancer Trust in Zimbabwe
this year and I have dedicated the rest of my life to seeing its missions
achieved.
In addition to all of the above, I am also a business owner. My trusted business partner and I recently
founded a company which is registered in Zimbabwe, called Enerco (Pvt)
Ltd. Along with having strategic
partnerships with regional and international companies, we have started a
forward-thinking company which provides Value Added Services for mobile phone
subscribers locally and internationally.
Enerco has the promotion of the Zimbabwean Arts & Culture Industry
in combination with Technology, at its core.
We are about to launch our exciting services which enable mobile phone
users in South Africa, the UK, the USA (and in the near future – Zimbabwe) to download
various content such as music from Zimbabwean Creative Artists based in
Zimbabwe and all over the world, onto their mobiles.
How
do you balance being a Model, Writer and Chief Patron of ECCT (Elizabeth
Chanakira Cancer Trust)?
When you
live your life doing the things you love, it doesn’t feel like work and the
balance comes naturally. However, amongst other things, I have to be extremely
organised so I follow practical steps like diarising my weekly to monthly
events; prioritising in order of which deadlines are first; allocating a strict
amount of time to writing articles, etc.
Tell
us about your book?
“As They
Find a Way” is a book containing stories of various creative Zimbabwean women
and how they found their path. The
stories were compiled by Wizzy Mangoma and I. The aim of the book is to
encourage and inspire other women following a creative path, particularly in a
social and cultural environment that often doesn’t support or encourage creativity as a way of
earning a living. It is available to buy on Amazon and in Zimbabwe at Totem Shumba
Estate (2001 Wayhill Lane West, Umwinsdale, Harare).
What’s a typical day for Teurai?
What’s a typical day for Teurai?
I wish I had ‘typical days’, but my days are always so varied because I work on different projects simultaneously. I always, however, start the day by giving gratitude to God for the day; prayer and reflection. I exercise - either at home; outdoors or in the gym. After that, I usually work according to my diarised work, deadlines and priorities, including fitting in several weekly Skype meetings with people I work with who reside all over the world, etc.
To relax, I love to read positive books; watch movies;
socialise with friends/family; shop; listen to music; I get very excited about
trying out different restaurants...and so much more (yes, really I could go
on!). I am hopeful of a relaxing holiday
in Thailand on my own next year because I haven’t had a proper ‘break from
everything’ in 3+ years.
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| Photo credit: E:thos photography by Rudo Nyangulu |
My
travel, residence abroad and exposure to different cultures, has helped shape
who I am today. I am very open-minded as I have been exposed to so many varying
‘Schools of Thought’. I am very independent as I have learnt to adapt to
different countries and people all the time – I always seem to ‘hit the ground
running’ haha. My travel has never allowed me to forget my roots and I am so
blessed to be able to take the positive aspects of life outside of Zimbabwe and
use them where I think they would work well at home, whilst honing them to suit
our distinct cultural and individual needs. I am doing this for example, with
the Elizabeth Chanakira Cancer Trust and in Technology.
You
have also been involved with African fashion as a model, what do you see in the
future of African Fashion?
Although
my modelling career has largely been based in Australia, I have also worked
with Zimbabwean designers such as Chenai Chic; Terrie Gunz; Ma Naka; Maita
Marimo; Colin Ratisai and Countess K. I
have worked with several Zimbabwean photographers - Ethos Photography by Rudo
Nyangulu; Fungaifoto and Herman Chimusoro.
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| Dress by Chenai Chic |
In terms of the future of African fashion, I believe that
the sky is the limit. We have so much talent amongst us, but sometimes we lack
adequate support and belief in our work from local retailers and society. There also need to be more networking
opportunities and support amongst ourselves, as collaboration is a significant
factor in driving the industry forward.
If we could have a networking platform in Zimbabwe, such as the one you
see on Model Mayhem where people in the
Fashion Industry connect and work together to promote the industry, then that
would really continue to drive it. I also believe that the different roles
people play in the African fashion industry should be seen as ‘work’ and there
must now be a reflection of this in terms of financial earnings.
Who
is your favourite African designer?Again, I cannot name one because each one brings a different energy through their work. I loved wearing the designs of all the Zimbabwean designers I worked with and am also a big fan of Farai Simoyi’s work .
How
would you describe your style?
My style
is very mixed and often experimental. I
love wearing feminine, sexy yet classy looks; whilst at the same time I love
the boho, edgy, preppy and street looks.
I always look different and sway between varying outfits, ‘spicing’ them
up with an array of accessories – plain & patterned socks; differently
patterned sheer tights, bowties, belts, suspenders/braces for pants and skirts,
jewellery and several headpieces.
Sometimes, I take pieces of African-inspired material (a lot of which was my
mother’s) and make them into ‘impromptu’ skirts etc, I really love being very
creative with what I wear.
Since living in Melbourne this year, I have also fallen in
love with vintage and/or vintage-inspired items, particularly from shops such
as Kinki Gerlinki, Grandma’s Finest Vintage
and I recently discovered Dear Gladys
which is a Not For Profit vintage clothing store, which
gives all proceeds to help unemployed and disadvantaged women find work.
There are countless people whose style I admire, so I could not name one! I don’t have a style icon per se, but rather I draw inspiration from the energy that comes from people’s personalities reflected through their fashion and fuse what I get, into what fits with Teurai. I admire the way Rihanna is very bold in her style, fusing Rock/Edgy with sexy, soft and feminine looks and also adore Jennifer Aniston’s often classy, girl-next-door look.
I have
many inspirations. The first one is God because I believe that what He created
within me and all around me (people and nature), continuously inspire me to be
who I am today. I am also inspired by people in the Creative Arts Industry, who
have managed to use their art form as a vehicle to other stepping stones, so
for example, people like Jay-Z, Beyonce and Tyra Banks.
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| Photo credit: Timecapture Photography |
If I could give any advice to other women, it would be - believe in yourself. I believe that we were all created for greatness, have a life purpose and can achieve whatever we believe we can. A large part of success stems from the mind. Follow your inner voice and instincts, we were given those for a reason; surround yourself with like-minded, positive people and focus on positivity and love because from that – you will receive more in return.
And for all those painful experiences that you have gone
through or will go through, there is
always help. There is always someone who has gone through it too and a lesson
to be learnt. Even though it may seem too difficult, there is always a way to
turn around pain so that it can become joy and hope for others.
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| Photo credit: Minnies Windows Photography |
You will be seeing more of me through my passions of writing and print modelling. I am also working hard on the implementation of the 5-year plan for the Elizabeth Chanakira Cancer Trust, which will involve several unique, long-term fundraising projects.
Furthermore, we are working hard on the launch of exciting
services provided by the company I co-founded in Zimbabwe, Enerco (Pvt) Ltd
(discussed above). Besides having mobile
content of Zimbabwean Creative Artists’ work available for download for mobile
phone users in South Africa, the UK, the USA (and in the near future –
Zimbabwe); we have secured a contract to provide services to the Face ofZimbabwe competition
within the next two weeks. There are
many other innovative services to follow so... watch this space!
How
do people get in touch with you?
- Follow on Twitter or The Trust on Twitter
- On Facebook,
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