Rumbidzai Makumbe (27), from Gombakomba village in Zimunya, has lived with a severe case of eczema since childhood.
REPORT BY CYNTHIA R MATONHODZE
Eczema, referred to sometimes as atopic dermatitis, is a form of chronic inflammation to the skin which usually results in dryness, flaking, itchiness, crusting and even bleeding of the skin on different parts of the body.
Rumbidzai’s eczema covers her whole body but her face has cleared up over the years.
“My mother said it started when I was a baby. She always noticed that every time she would undress me bits of my skin would peal off and stick onto my clothes,” says Rumbidzai as she begins to explain her journey with the disease.
From then on her mother tried numerous creams and ointments but to no avail until a relative sent her a skin cream from the United Kingdom that temporarily cleared skin.
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“My condition got better when I used that cream but when it finished it started again.”
The cause of the skin disease is unknown but it is often presumed to be a result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and sometimes even one’s diet can be a contributing factor.
Below is an interactive map of the areas which Rumbidzai has lived. Click on each area on the left side of the map to view information about the area:
Watch Rumbidzai tell her story below: