By Blessing Dzumbira

MY father Abraham Dzumbira (54) joined the liberation struggle in September 1976.
On turning 16 years he felt he was old enough to be among the men and women who had crossed the borders to receive military training and fight the brutal and diabolic Ian Smith Regime.
Born in 1960, father grew up in Mutare, Chifunire Viallage, under Chief Mutasa.
During one of the pungwes in his village, father decided to leave with vanamukoma.
At this particular gathering, father was inspired by the dance and songs to join the struggle.
The message in the songs and determination displayed by the comrades tugged his heart.
Soon after the pungwe he did not need any further talking to or encouragement.
He was ready.
Together with Esther Chimboza and Susan Ziwa, they left the village for Mozambique.
They went through Penalonga and Muzulu.
Like the other comrades that went before them, in Mozambique they first reached Villa Perry.
The Mozambican soldiers at Villa Perry took turns to interrogate them.
It was there that father got to know that things such as paper, pens and maps were not part of people going to join the war.
People carrying such items were considered dangerous as they were potential spies for Smith out to gather information about the freedom fighters.
Identification and birth certificates were destroyed to avoid being tracked by the enemy.
He assumed the name ‘John Simbi’ and was ready to fight the enemy.
Father spent two weeks at Villa Perry before being transferred to Dafu in Chimoio.
He will never forget his stay at Dafu where he spent three weeks.
From Dafu he was transferred to Doroi Camp which had more than 15 000 people.
Diseases such as hurricanes and others caused by a lack of a balanced diet were common and up to now, father still has no nail on one of his toes after being attacked by jigger fleas.
Father recalls how the fighters had to adopt various strategies to survive such as barter trading which they referred to as ‘chirenje’.
Chirenje saw the comrades sneaking into surrounding villages with clothes they would exchange for food. Many comrades, he says, died from diseases while others ran away.
Life was hard at the camps and the difficulties strengthened the resolve of those that decided to stay and continue fighting.
Doroi Camp was divided into seven bases.
Base One, Ravasikana, was for the women, bases Two to Six were for adult males, while Five was for the young ones called Vatoto.
At Base Five, father was in Chindunduma Company where he stayed with comrades Tsuro, Serima, Nyamusenga Madhadha and Guruva among others.
Every day, they underwent drills and took classes that explained the reason for fighting and aspirations of black people.
At one time, father was the company seguranca (security), a position that was not so ‘sweet’ as the seguranca received punishment for every comrade that would have escaped for chirenje and it was usually a through beating.
Father also talks of ‘Vazee’, refugees who were living in Base Seven.
These lived as families; they had escaped the war back home.
From 1976 -79, father lived at Doroi enduring the hardships. I am proud that he is one of the liberation heroes that did not run away from hardships, but endured until victory was achieved.
In July 1980, he was among the comrades who were ferried back to Zimbabwe via Nyamapanda before being sent to Loreto Mission in Gweru to further their education.
My father remains a patriot as evidenced by his work and the poems that he writes extolling the virtues of serving one’s nation and the beauty of the country.
He works at the City of Harare, lives in Mbare and is into various empowerment projects.