HOM: Thulani Moyo

Hi Friends! Thanks for joining me this week for a new post in the Humans of Matebeleland series! Today you'll meet Thulani (pronounced Tool-On-Ee), and he has become a valuable person in our lives because he helped finish our staff house! Thulani is a carpenter and has been working with wood for many years. After I noticed how straight and level the shelves were in a friend's house, ("straight" and "level" can be hard to come by in this area), I had to ask for the carpenter's number!

Thulani Moyo sitting at our dining table that he crafted.

Let's get to his responses :)

What is something about you that surprises people?

The thing that surprises most people when I tell them is that I am a carpenter, but the most important thing that I’m doing as a person is a pastor. So many people, especially when we are doing our carpentry work, they get surprised. They don’t expect someone to be doing both. But currently I’m pastoring a church in Tsholotsho, a congregation of San people. We’ve got a branch there that consists mostly of the San. So that’s part of my job that I’m doing. Carpentry is part time for me. I can say like in the Bible, it’s my “tentmaking.” But my main job is pastoring and bringing people to Christ, knowing Jesus is their savior. Many people get surprised when I tell them I’m a pastor.

What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

Meaning courageous to myself or to other people?

I think it could be either. It could be something that seems small to other people but it was very courageous for you to manage to do it. Or it’s something that everybody remembers and you’ve inspired them because you did something courageous to them.

Okay. I’d say the most courageous thing I do is to mentor other people. Both in Christ and also in carpentry. So like we are a training center and we train carpenters. I’m on the production side, so when most guys finish their training, I absorb those who want more knowledge. I help them deal with the outside world, how to deal with customers, just opening their eyes to the world. I don’t hire them, but I help them learn so they can go their own way. That’s what I like, to share.

Some people would say since you’re creating more carpenters, you’re giving yourself more competition. But you’re not afraid of that?

The more competition the better! I don’t want to monopolize the knowledge, but you have to share with other people.

While building our cupboards, he trained an apprentice in the skills of carpentry.

What’s the most joyful part of your days?

The most joyful part of my life is my family.

Can you tell me who is in your family? Do you have children?

I’ve got children- four boys. The firstborn is in his last year at university at Gweru. The youngest is doing grade three. We don’t know if it means he’ll be in grade three again next year because of lockdown, we don’t know what the government is going to propose, but we’ll see. Yeah, that’s my family, though I would have wished to have one girl in the family. But the only girl that is there is my wife! I’ve been married for 23 years now.

What’s the most challenging part of your days?

Especially these days, because of lockdown, I can say the most challenging part of my time is that we don’t go to church these days. To go the whole week without going to church and being with the brethren and worshiping God, it’s a bit challenging. We can worship God on our own, but it’s so challenging if you don’t meet others.

Who is somebody that’s been an inspiration to you?

That would be my overseer. The church pastor that is over my branch. He’s a very passionate man, working with and inspiring people from all backgrounds. Originally I was staying in a rural area, and he encouraged me. First he groomed me in carpentry, then in leadership in the church, and then as a pastor. In our church we have a training department- carpentry, agriculture, and steel work. So my instructor is a German lady, her name is Helga. She was living here in Bulawayo but she’s in Germany because of the lockdown. But normally she’s still active in training carpenters.

Mr. Moyo, what would you like people to know about Zimbabwe, for someone who has never been here before?

I would say Zimbabwe is a friendly country with mostly friendly people. Of course you can find people very crude and mean people, but normally Zimbabwe is a very friendly country. Though, with it’s economic and political challenges. But normally people are so friendly and open.

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I would agree with that, thank you very much Thulani!

And thanks friends for stopping by. Sending love and courage your way, Mackenzie