The Sunday News
Mbongeni Msimanga, Sunday Life Correspondent
MANY connotations usually come out when one comes from a poor polygamous family background.
They are usually viewed as people who cannot achieve and most of them fall into the same trap and are unable to break out of the cycle of poverty and polygamous beliefs.
This has not been the same for 21 year-old prodigy from Mandwandwe High School in Nkulumane, Trynos Tshuma who has defied the odds and managed to score 17 points at Advanced Level in Economics (B), Mathematics (C),
Business Studies (A) and Accounting (A) despite his poor background.
At Ordinary Level, he passed all nine subjects scoring four As in History, Ndebele, Integrated Science and Principles of Accounts and five Bs in English Language, Geography, Mathematics, Biology and Physical Science.
His father, Firimoni Tshuma is a staunch believer in polygamy and he separated from his mother when he was aged six, although he still supported the young prodigy and paid fees for him.
“I started school at an old age and I come from a poor background too. My father is a polygamist and at the moment he has three wives. My mother left when I was six years old and that was the last time I spent time with her.
“My father has continued to support me all the way even though he is involved in polygamous relationships. This has never stopped me from achieving despite all differences that may arise from my father’s wives,” said Trynos.
With more than twenty siblings in his father’s family, Trynos has proved that the sky is the limit as he is the only one in his family to obtain certificates in Ordinary and Advanced levels.
Despite his father falling in the wave of the retrenchments that affected most ordinary lives last year, Trynos was not deterred from his goal of coming out as a victor and believes he “managed to break a curse” that was in his family.
“I have managed to break a curse by anointing and I am the first one in my family to have an Ordinary and Advanced Level certificate. I believe it is a blessing for me,” he said.
Trynos said his fourth subject, Economics was not offered at Mandwandwe High School and he had to study it alone without assistance.
“I managed to score a B in Economics and it was never offered at school. Sometimes I believe it is my natural intelligence and determination that has taken me this far,” he said.
Probably protesting against his father’s polygamous ways, trying to break out of a system that his siblings failed to do the prodigy Trynos said he would stay away from home and occupy himself with church work during the weekends.
“I used to stay away from home studying and I would only come home in the evening as I would be busy with my books. My father’s polygamous ways never really affected my studies, and I would always stay out of his ways and minded my own business,” he said.
He said he hoped to get financial assistance so that he could further his education so he could fulfill his dream of being an accountant.
“I come from a poor background and I am appealing to those who want to assist me so I can further my dream of being an accountant. I know nothing will stop me from achieving my dream,” said Trynos.
