When she left Waddilove High School at the end of 2019 after a long decade at the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe institution, Violet Ruvarashe Chipangura (pictured) had her mind set on the traditional academic path — to go to university and obtain a degree.
By Style Reporter
And, indeed, with good A’ Level results under her belt, and an adult’s 18 years behind her, nothing stood between her and her dream career. She envisioned herself with a degree in Social Work and holding a top job with a stable non-governmental organisation.
University would, however, open doors for the new intake in August 2020 — some eight months away!
Ruva, as she is popularly known, decided she would wait and perhaps read for a short computer qualification while obtaining a driver’s licence in the process.
“By some insane quirk of fate, however, barely a month down the line, I found myself enrolled full-time for a Beauty Specialist course,” Ruva told Standard Style.
“What a pleasant surprise it was for me. All of a sudden I was swimming in my dream pool. All of a sudden I was living my dream – it all felt like I had lived this life before – it was really like déjà vu.
“I felt like my blood would burst out of my veins in excitement. It felt like something that had been sleeping in me had just been awakened.”
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Unbeknown to Ruva, her father, concerned about the traditional academic path that has led many promising youth into university, only to dump most of them on the drug-ridden streets of unemployment, had gone behind her back and spoken to her high school friends asking them what they thought was their friend’s natural passion.
They all concurred that while she was an above-average academic, Ruva was popular with the girls for her beauty and make-up skills. She was also among the best singers in the school and was a talented model. Ruva features prominently on several professional videos shot at Waddilove by the school’s Soldiers of Heaven music outfit led by Patrick Nyahwo.
“That decided me,” said Ruva’s father, Tangai Chipangura. “If that was where my daughter’s heart lay, then should I be leading her elsewhere? I hunted for the best providers of these skills. The fees were steep — but then again, Violet is my last born and only daughter!”
So, fresh from A’ Level examinations, Ruva was back in school. As fate would have it, she would have waited much longer to go into university. Covid-19 arrived in March 2020 and pushed back the opening of schools and universities another three months!
We spoke to Ruva last week soon after her graduation as a beauty specialist, with three diplomas to her name – all obtained inside 10 months of rigorous training and intense study.
The course is offered by the London-based International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC) whose local affiliate, Takesure Beauty Therapy School, is based in Windsor Park, Ruwa.
Some of the specialist courses offered by the school include Aesthetics, Beauty Therapy Diploma, Body Treatments, Holistic Massage, Beauty Consultancy, Electrotherapy, Manicure and Pedicure, Waxing, Stress Management, Hairdressing, Aromatherapy, Fitness Training, Facial Electricals, nail technology and the latest addition, Covid-19 awareness and prevention.
So, instead of waiting to go to university literally a year after completing her ‘A’ Level, Violet has, through hard work and good life choices, achieved in barely a year what one would ordinarily have needed years to accomplish.
In fact, she could now still join her peers in university if she chose to. But would she still consider going to university now to pursue her dream career Social Work?
“No ways, at least not for now. My life has changed direction completely. Beauty therapy is now my lifeblood and I am going to pursue it to the zenith. I am now looking for experience – as much experience as I can acquire, locally and abroad. My dream right now is to one day go out there and work on cruise ships and international health spas.
“I hope to eventually set up my own upmarket health spas and other such beauty salons here in my country Zimbabwe. The things that I am dreaming to do in this beauty industry could literally blow my head,” she said with a streak of seriousness cutting across her beautiful young face.
Asked what her greatest inspiration was, Violet was quick to point to her parents.
“These two guys are the best parents any child would ever wish to have. My dad has been with me everywhere and is my biggest cheerleader in literally everything I do. He guided me choose what I wanted to do and left me to do the rest. He helped me develop a mature perspective to life and had to adjust his daily routine to fit into my school programme driving me daily to and from school throughout the difficult Covid-19 lockdown.
“My mother too, with her iron fist rules, and yet the kindest and most loving woman in the world, assumed an even more important role. She has made the young woman in me, nurturing my personality, building my integrity and shaping my attitude towards life. My mother has taken a lot of time and has put a lot of effort, including screaming and pushing, to build my physical deportment and all credit goes to her for the young woman that I am today,” said Violet with that disarming smile that has become her trademark.
