By Takemore Mazuruse
It’s not every mortal who has the pedigree to not only defy odds and shrug adversity, but go on to become a champion of hope for many. The majority of people shrink under the burden of life challenges and fail to rise from their enslaving effects. However, Rutendo Precious Mudzamiri, or simply Dr Ru as she is known in social and people development circles, is one person who has weathered life storms and risen to become a shining light and beacon of hope, not only in Zimbabwe but in the region and beyond.
Born and raised in Kambuzuma, Harare, Dr Ru defines herself as a daughter, sister, cousin and friend who loves helping people become the best version of who they should be in their work and calling.
“I am no superhuman. I am your everyday daughter, sister, cousin and friend who grew up in Kambuzuma and studied in the United States for tertiary education,” Dr Ru said.
“My only special attribute if it must be considered as one, is the high regard I have for others.
“I know what it means to be down and out yet still enjoy the grace to ascend. For that reason, my calling is to inspire and empower everyone regardless of their background and circumstances.
“We are all equals and created for a unique and special purpose which we must strive to live up to, against all odds.
“I am a vision helper and the fact that I am regarded a visionary, leader and life coach speaks to this ideal.
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“I believe God created me to inspire hope even amidst the most difficult of circumstances.”
A celebrated community builder in her own right, Dr Ru has championed various programmes aimed at empowering others, especially women.
“I have been blessed to oversee, mentor and lead the 12 000 strong community of women leaders in various sectors,” she said.
“This is dubbed the BossBabe Conversations Community and we host several sessions and a summit that propels the leadership of women forward.
“I am also a trained leadership expert and I practice as a coach with a focus on strategic leadership, personal development improving organisational culture and ethics.
“It’s a whole mix of people development and community empowerment and I continue exploring ways to refine this mission with each passing day.”
Though noble, Dr Rue’s work and mission is not without challenges and constraints but she remains encouraged by her undying quest to empower others.
Her greatest motivation however is the life changing impact of her programmes and the testimonies she gets.
“As a visionary leader and coach, no matter how passionate you are about a cause, you cannot force others to go where they are not willing to go,” she said.
“So, learning and practicing a deeper level of human understanding and tolerance is an asset in leadership development. I learn this every day,
“My greatest motivation is service. If I can change a situation, life or better one person or scenario at a time, I am happy. I love to see people grow and as I research ways to make scenarios better for others, I also grow in the process.
“I love to see men and women who serve and lead from a whole place, so I push the message of whole leadership that starts from the inside out.
“When we lead our lives from a place of wholeness, we feed that to communities, families, cities and nations and that saves us from some of the social ills which indubitably can be avoided if self-leadership and service are mastered.”
Dr Ru is also an avid reader and writer and recently launched a book titled Pray Through it and Evolve meant to inspire positive change and encourage people going through daunting life challenges.
“The book Pray Through It and Evolve was inspired by the pain and suffering I see in some of the most beautiful people with a lot of potential, but they fail to get past trauma, pain, confusion and never evolve, grow, lead others and even themselves,” she said.
“I have been in spaces where I have also used prayer to spark life-changing conversation with God that helped me see life and my situation differently.
“I got more of Him in prayer, I started to authentically give, lead and serve from a place of power, grace, and love.
“I would like to believe that what makes me unique as a coach is that when you encounter Dr Ru, you also encounter God heart as I strive to be an extension of His hand in my acts of service to others and the community.”
Though currently domicilled in the United States after completing her studies, Dr Ru makes the occasional trip to Zimbabwe for community empowerment programmes and recently held a similar programme as she launched her book at a local hotel in the capital.
“I am based in the US, I moved there when I was studying and I decided to make it home,” she said.
“Certainly, the heart is in Zimbabwe and I am on my way back, hopefully soon.
“I, however, make the occasional trip back home for my women focused empowerment programmes and after the recent one in Harare I will be having another one in South Africa.”
Dr Ru has got high hopes for this generation and hopes for good governance and service that translates to life transformation for the masses.
“We wish to see better governance and service leadership as much as possible, but in the event that we do not experience these in our lifetime, we should not waste our lives and time, but do the best we can to create the platforms necessary to push the agenda of development even if it is one person at a time in turn,” she said.
“When you serve others, they in turn serve you. Life is about service, ubuntu is about service, Godliness is about service and when we evolve into positions of leadership from that perspective, we can have a serious culture shift that can impact leaders in government, churches and communities.”
Dr Ru’s work has been acknowledged through various accolades in the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Young Women Leader of the Year Award and becoming a fellow of the prestigious Vital Voices and the Women Leaders for the World Programme, among others.
She will not stop at anything until she brings meaningful change and that while the accolades are important.
“I will not stop giving myself in service to others until I build schools and hospitals,” she said.
“I will continue to serve one leader at a time and be the change I want to see in the marketplace.
“This whole conviction comes from a place of faith. It is the core, I pray daily that if I am to do anything, God may you allow me to be an extension of your hand.
“Everything God does is excellent and speaks love, and those are the two core values of my work in the marketplace as a coach, as a strategist and as a mentor.
“I want the work I do to be cheered by heaven, and when that happens, I sleep better every night.”
Dr Ru believes her mission is just getting started and that she will continue to draw inspiration from the impact and lives she is changing with her initiatives.
“I am work in progress and I strongly believe it’s early days,” she said.
“I draw a lot of inspiration from the testimonies, the feedback of transformed lives that I see daily and the ability to authentically connect with the men and women I serve.
“Every coaching experience leaves me feeling one sister, brother and friend richer.”
