The story of Blessing Mandipira who rose from being a gardener to an established motivational speaker and speech coach who has to date trained more than 100 Chief Executive Officers and government officials is both intriguing and inspiring.
Not many have challenged their situation and looked deeper inside themselves to aim for higher grounds and Mandipira’s rise from humble beginnings could best be described as a journey in uppercase but he believes it is out of hard work and determination that he is where he is now.
In an interview with 263Chat, Mandipira said he is a gardener who worked very hard to change the tittle of being called a garden boy to sanitation expert and later decided to venture into motivational speaking.
“l finished my Ordinary level 20 years ago at Craneborne Boys High and l was chased away by my grand parent after l failed my examinations.
“l started looking for a job and l worked as a gardener for 5 good years,l lost self esteem at church whereby everyone used to call me a garden boy little did l know that life will change for me.
“l was given a motivational book by a lady from our church and that helped me in maximizing my self esteem, the book changed me and l started rewriting my own story just because of that book.
“Later on l went to my Pastor and l told him that l needed a new title from the youth from being called a garden boy to sanitation expert which also increased my self esteem.
“Later on l supplemented my O’ Levels and l then met a lady who told me that l should be at Gateway Primary as a teacher since l had the qualities.
“l got my self a contract for one year and l remember l only had one trousers which ended up loosing color and later that lady called me and l told her my story that l was an orphan then she went to her husband.
“After 3 days she brought me some new clothes and l became a new person, l didn’t believe that l was handsome until that day,” he said.
Mandipira added that he then changed from being a teacher and ventured into motivational speaking.
“l remember in 2012, l was delivering a speech somewhere and and the owner of First Pack saw me and he gave me a privilege to go and watch international speakers in South Africa.
“When l came back l coached him and his child and and he then gave me other two CEO’s, l didn’t know that l have the capacity of being who l am today.
“Now l surround my self with many books to make sure that my life keeps on changing,” said Mandipira.
He has already endorsed himself as a doctor without setting his foot at a higher learning institution. “l come from the university of life not of Zimbabwe, through reading about 4 books per week and now l call myself a doctor without being endorsed by anyone.”
