Tinopona Katsande

"Life has no synopsis; I stand here today as a cervical cancer survivor. It’s not about my ingenuity but God’s Grace and Mercy. I was diagnosed in time. I am begging men to remind their wives and spouses to go for regular checkups for cervical cancer"

"When men support their wives, it would mean that a disease like cancer would soon be a thing of the past. Cervical cancer is the only cancer treatable through vaccine. Let’s open up on our problems in every space that we’re in. For us to be able to overcome these problems let’s learn to forgive and forget"

"The past couple of years have been mainly consumed by serious health challenges and grief, which slowed me down professionally, but I have grown immensely spiritually and mentally"

"Apart from living with stage four endometriosis, I was diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer and my father passed away amid much disharmony within our family"

"These things completely discombobulated me just at a time I was back at the top of my game in my acting and radio broadcasting careers"

"The egg business is back to rising profits again with a focus on distribution at the wholesale level"

"My flourishing entrepreneurial journey with my egg business, Mazai KwaTino, and my footwear label, Famba Tino Famba, also took a hammering because they are still both hands-on enterprises and need me physically to steer their growth"

"Business is growing steadily too. I employ 12 women in the shoe production chain. I’m focused. I know I will win. It’s all part of God’s promise and His plan for me."

"But I had to put my physical and mental health first, I had to deliberately take a step back from everything and focus on treatment, healing and restoration of my mind and body."

"Fast forward to 2024, I can safely say I am back on the rise again all around, except now, I am 100 percent more mature in my approach to everything. I’m still on my cancer healing and restoration journey and it’s coming along very well"

"I learnt a lot through the cancer scare and being a person of action and empowerment of others, I have become a cervical cancer awareness advocate."

"In branding myself ‘Tinopona — the Accidental Advocate’, I use my extensive social media platforms to spearhead cancer awareness campaigns for women in Zimbabwe."

"My main focus is in spreading the gospel of ‘early detection saves lives’ because if the doctors had not discovered the cancer early, I don’t think I would have beaten it."

"In sharing my cancer journey publicly, I speak as a patient, not as a celebrity, politician economist, or anything, but just a Zimbabwean citizen who has gone through this difficult experience."

"I have been able to use my brand to pull together resources and companies in the health sector to facilitate periodic free cervical and prostate cancer screening days across the country."

"I’m currently in the process of putting together a free screening day for women of Mashonaland East Province in September at Murehwa Centre"