Strength isn’t something you can fake. It’s something you earn, day by day—through challenges, pain through setbacks, and moments when the world tells you ‘no.’

I grew up in Mkoba, a small place in Gweru, Zimbabwe. It wasn’t always a place where dreams were nurtured. I watched my mother push forward despite great hardship. She kept going—because she had no choice. And neither did I.

I was a small girl in a big world, knocked down at every turn. I was intelligent, driven — I had dreams. Shouldn’t that be enough?”

Of all my struggles, none shaped me more than surviving rape. The memories are painful, and I still carry them with me. There were sleepless nights where I couldn’t escape the weight of the trauma. I was constantly fighting an internal battle, feeling empty, alone, and lost.

Loneliness While Watching Others Move Forward

I watched friends go off to university, leaving me behind. The distance between us grew, not just physically, but emotionally. Besides, why would they still connect with a girl who was always underdressed and couldn't further her studies? I felt like I was missing out on something that everyone else seemed to get—an opportunity.

 I wished so badly that I had someone, anyone, to tell me, “It’s going to be okay.” I wished I had someone to help me see that my worth wasn’t defined by a piece of paper, by the lack of a scholarship, or by what had happened to me. But that was never going to happen.

Finding Strength: Learning to Rise

I thought of my courageous mother, the pain and illness and financial hardship she endured. I saw her fight her struggles. I had to fight too. I remembered a verse from scripture that changed everything that was going on in my head. “ “Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose” (Judges 5:7).

That verse spoke directly to my heart. No one was going to come and fix my life. I couldn’t wait for someone else to help me. I had to rise, like Deborah. I lifted my chin, squared my shoulders, and inhaled deeply. I had spent so long carrying the weight of rejection, but in that moment, something shifted. I was ready to fight for my future.

Fighting for My Future—and Paving the Way for Others

I spent two years working as a babysitter and running a poultry project to make money and save for my dream of attending medical school. I enrolled in six online UNICEF health courses to grow my knowledge. I kept pushing, waking up at ungodly hours to do everything I could to create a future for myself. I stayed persistent in my pursuit of funding.

After years of struggle, I won the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship to study Medical Bioscience. The feeling was surreal, like a dream come true. The pain, the loneliness, the rejection—it was worth it. But it didn’t end there. I knew my journey wasn’t just about me.

I had to give back, to help others going through what I had. I volunteered, helping young girls in our community. This led to the birth of the Stirring Hope Initiative, a project aimed at providing children in rural areas with clothes—but also with hope. Through the initiative, I give these children the message that they are seen, that they are loved, and that they too can rise.

You Are More Than Your Struggles

If you’re sitting there, feeling like you’re stuck in a dark storm, wondering if you’ll ever get a break, I’m here to tell you: Rise, keep fighting --and you will.

There were days when I was underdressed, feeling like I didn’t belong, watching others around me have what I couldn’t. But I learned that my worth wasn’t determined by my clothes, my lack of opportunities, or my circumstances. It was determined by my ability to rise in the face of adversity.

I’ve been where you are. I know what it’s like to feel small, to feel invisible, to feel like the world doesn’t care. But I also know this: You are more than your struggles.

Your time is coming. It won’t happen on the world’s timeline. It won’t happen when you think it should. But it will happen—because you are strong, and you are worthy of the life you’ve dreamed of.

I’m proof of that. If I can rise from the depths of rejection, loneliness, and trauma, so can you.

This is just the beginning.

Meet Tanyaradzwa Virginia Marwa