A candle loses nothing by lighting other candles.

Munashe Makahamadze says her father’s example of kindness and service continues to shape her life.

Mpundu Valerie

This is more than a lesson Munashe Makahamadze learned in school it is a way of life she received from her father and a torch she now seeks to carry for others.

Raised under his roof and guided by his example, Munashe has watched this principle live through her father every single day. His life is the lesson, and it is in his footsteps that she now chooses to walk. Speaking fondly about the man who shaped her worldview, she shared.

"My dad has shown me over the years that everybody deserves an equal opportunity. His care for the elderly and persons with disabilities is unmatched," she says.

He is kind-hearted and, above all, a blessing not only to us but to so many. It is one thing to be given your flowers when you die and quite another to be given them while you are still alive to smell them.

To Munashe, her father is not just a father, he is her role model, deserving of recognition for his positive influence. "Ini sando dzavo ndovapa vachirikurarama. This is not a secret, this isn't clout. I have known this man all my life and over the years I have learnt to admire and follow his ways, though I am only covering a mere step of what he has done," she said.

Train up a child in the way they should go, so that when they are old they shall not depart from it. That is the path she was taught, raised, and trained to walk on. "We thank God for blessing us with someone like him. Every day, wisdom and knowledge are ushered to us and we pray that from his guidance we shall never fall."

Good deeds are to be emulated. Though we might not exceed what our father has done, we pray that on the path he directed us, we are able not only to share light among ourselves, but to others. "I could go on for ages talking about how he has moulded me, but what this man has done goes beyond our family. He has managed to show love, humility, patience and kindness to everyone."

"He doesn't care about race. He isn't bothered at all. To him, all are equal and deserve a chance at life. This, in return, has taught us to love one another." "Never look down on anybody. Never let status influence how you treat people. This I have seen from my father." To her, the name is not just a name it is a legacy she aims to portray and preserve.

father’s legacy of kindness