Tapiwa Victoria Foto was born on Sunday the 5th of May 1996 at Mbuya Nehanda maternity home in Harare at 15.00hrs. She was very small with a birth weight of 2.5 kgs.Elders believe such small babies cry more than big weight babies as they will be building weight. I tend to agree with them as I had this experience with Tapiwa. She could cry contineously for the entire night for no apparent reason. I had to visit the doctor  on several occassions thinking she was sick or something. Her doctor advised she was growing up very well with no healthy problems.

At nine months Tapiwa had grown bigger than her age, good looking and cheerful, months passed into years. At 3 years she enrolled at Samathas Pre-School in Mt Pleasant and latter transfered to Yellow Rose Nursery School in Avondale where she was invloved in all pre-school activities including dramas. Tapiwa was very adventurers.One unique character in her was to understand every place which she visits before she leaves the place. I would know where ever we go Tapiwa will ask for the toilet before she settles, no matter how much I tried to discourage her from that habbit she would cry until you take her, the idea was to know how the place looks like. Suprisingly she would not even use the toilet but will be asking ko umu muneyi mummy, she would want to go from room to room.

In 2001 Tapiwa graduated at Yellow Rose Nusery school and started her grade one at SOS Hermann Gmeiner Primary school in Waterfalls in 2002.
She was never involved in any sports, she would bring her home work on a daily basis, failure we would drive back to school for her to get the home work. She was  just a well behaved,desciplined and smart girl. Tapiwa used to receive prices for deportment, she was natuarally smart.


In 2009 Tapiwa enrolled at Eaglesvale High School for her form one. She enjoyed the change, new friends and  everyhing else about the school. She developed interest in basket ball, and intially I couldn't support her thinking she would never make it there. given her sporting background from primary school. I later learnt that she was talented and she enjoyed that.

For her Form 1 and 2 Tapiwa was average in all subjects but very good in French, Because of her average perfomance we decided to enrol her for extra lessons during school holidays. Her father would also take her for lessons  in all subjects as well and set test questions for her. Her performance improved that and was bringing improved school reports .

In 2011 Tapiwa was in form 3, because she was going to write her form 4 exams the following year, we increased school pressure on her and she was complying to the pressure. She showed good undertanding of Accounts and she enjoyed the subject very well. In june 2011, Tapiwa had pressure for her mid-term exams. She started complaining of headaches,where are they coming from, stop dramatising Tapiwa and concentrate on your school work I said.The complain continued for the whole week

The following weekend I took her to Michel Gelfand Clinic where she was given stop pains for her head ache, nothing too serious. At the end of the month she was complaining of eye sight problems, headaches and was vomiting. It was more serious as she could not see properly. I took her to Dr Guramatunhu's rooms and we were asked to go for an emergency CT scan.
The scan results were something else, Tapiwa was diagonised of brain tumor. She cried mummy, why me. NdezvaMwari mwanagu, we will get over it mwanagu stay positive and focused.
We were refered to a head specialised who asked for an emergency head operation which was  successfuly done on 7 July 2011. Monday  the 18  of July Tapiwa went back to school well recovered happy and  normal days.
On 6 October Tapiwa went for the major operation, which was to remove the tumour, after the op, the doctor advised it was very successful, not cancerous but there was a lump left out to be cleared through radio therapy process in South Africa. On  6 November  2011 we reported at LCM hospital in Pretoria, Tapiwa went through the process very well with no complications to the 23rd of December 2011.
We arrived back home on chrismas day, Oohh what a Chrismas, we celebrated Tapiwa's healthy return and in January 2012 Tapiwa reported to school for her form 4.

We agreed Tapiwa was proceeding to form 4 but would sit for her exams the followng year, She enjoyed going back to school, but her cry was on the basket ball issue where she was not allowed to participant given her condition. She did not like it as she had so much passion on the sport.

Tapiwa was showing signs of illhealthy from mid May, she was complaining of loosing power at times. At the end of the month we visited the doctor and we were refered for MRI scan, the scan results were something else, Tapiwa had spinal cancer spread along the spinal. She cried but why me mummy, from all the girls at Eaglesvale why did God choose me. "God has his way of doing things Tappy and he is always right she knows why and he will not leave you alone. Cling onto him and ask him for the  power to fight this condition. Dr proposed a spinal operation, Ooh my GOD how?

Tapiwa was in deep pain for the whole month of June, she was paralysed, couldn't walk, raise her hand but could smile, eat and talk.
On 1 July 2012 at 9.00 am, Tapiwa passed on with a big smile on her face as if she was never in  deep pain.

Tapiwa my little angel, you were the best child any parents could have. I will always remember you in many ways. Rest in peace my dear girl. I miss you deeply.