Leenmary

My Journey So Far, As A Student

I believe that a tiny step of courage is always a good place to start.

Since my childhood, it has always been my mission, and most importantly my family’s desire, to see me being stubborn about my goals and never afraid to be smart. I grew up in a society which deemed that if you failed to attain a university degree, you would be a disgrace and accordingly your carееr opportunities would be despicably downtrodden. So I grew up into a big girl bearing in mind that I should never bend my head but always hold it high and look the world right in the eye.

Well, my name is Leenmary Mushohwe, aged 21 and a second year medical student at Kursk State Medical University, Russia, I am first born in a family of 5 and most importantly honoured to be part and parcel of the Makomborero Zimbabwe group of scholarships.

In 2016, after completing my A-Levels, I decided to turn the vision that I have always had into a mission and hold myself responsible for taking that decision. In September 2017, I left Zimbabwe only to realise that, my country was a momentous source of benefit to me now that I was being exposed to the world and that was the beginning of my life as a university student.

I had a preliminary year first that was 2017-2018 since I was to be part of the Russian medium. This was my best year ever and on the other hand, I can say it was the worst.

I had great experiences visiting amazingly beautiful places in Russia, for example, river Don, meeting new people , different cultures and beliefs, different languages. However it was a real struggle to communicate with our teachers and other foreign students who spoke French as they could not understand English. Neither was I able to understand their languages as well, therefore the only deal was to learn Russian. This is one of the funniest memories that I will forever keep with me. I remember going to the grocery shops with a translator so that I could be able to identify and buy the right stuff. About three months down the line, I was now understanding and could speak a little bit, though in the process of doing that, making mistakes was inevitable. I’m forever grateful to my teachers, as well as senior students from Zimbabwe and other countries who were so lenient that I never felt inferior to express myself.

Leenmary - A Makomborero External Student studying in Russia

I understand that each person’s life is a journey on a contorted road, dotted with bumps and craters. At certain points, the bumps can seem as high as mountains and the lows as deep as pits, making this journey called “Life” appear quite so despondent. At one point health wise, I was not in very good condition, most probably because of the weather conditions and that I missed my family so badly. However there was absolutely nothing that I could do except to stay strong and move on. On that note, Russia has freezing winters and it can be very hot in summer. It also came to my attention that some still do exercise racism which did not go quite well with me until I decided to stand firm and tell myself that if only I can take care of my mind, I can take care of the world too.

I can safely say my goal as a successful medical student has so far been accomplished. However as always there is still more room for enhancement. I believe it will be a most arduous but rewarding journey. Praying and my traits like ambition, succour me in the continuance of my journey. Yes, too much of ambition can corrupt a person, but so far it has only empowered me with much needed optimism. My family and friends have always been there with wisdom, encouragement and consolation, reminding me that the world is not completely forlorn and bleak. I am not abashed to say my Dad is my best friend as he was and is still always behind me, making up by being the best father one could have.

In a nutshell, I conclude by saying as long as one possesses a goal she or she will never be lost.

By Leenmary Mushohwe

Leenmary Mushohwe was part of Makomborero’s 2015 Intake of External Students and attended high school at St Peter’s Kubatana. She is studying Medicine at Kursk State University in Russia.

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