Sekai Tarabu the tailor stitching hope in Zvishavane

 Sekai Tarabu – The Tailor Stitching Hope in Zvishavane

In the quiet streets of Zvishavane, you’ll find a small workshop buzzing with sewing machines and dreams. This is where Sekai Tarabu, a talented tailor with a heart for community, is changing lives one stitch at a time.

Born in Chitungwiza, Harare, in 1983, Sekai is a tall woman with a warm, chocolate-brown complexion and a calm but commanding presence. She walks with the quiet confidence of someone who has weathered many storms. Her posture is upright and purposeful every movement deliberate, like the careful stitches she sews into her fabric.

Sekai started sewing as a teenager, never imagining it would become her life’s mission. After completing a basic tailoring course, she moved to Zvishavane looking for a fresh start. There, with just one sewing machine and a lot of determination, she began making clothes for locals fixing, patching, and creating.

In 2012, she took things a step further and started her own Tailoring and Designs shop in McAdams, Zvishavane, turning part of her house into a workspace. Her goal? To teach tailoring skills to young people who couldn’t afford college or vocational training. She focused on those who had dropped out of school or came from poor backgrounds, especially girls.

“We teach them how to cut, sew, and even run a small business,” she says. “Most of them had no skills when they started. Now, some are running their own shops.”

Despite limited tools and little support, Sekai keeps going. She uses money from her tailoring jobs and poultry business to buy fabric, lunch for her students, and sometimes even pay their exam fees.

“I’ve been where they are. I know what it’s like to have nothing but a dream,” she says.

Sekai’s work goes beyond clothes. It’s about giving young people confidence and a second chance. Some of her students now supply uniforms to schools or make outfits for church and weddings. Others have started their own businesses. Her biggest dream is to open a proper training centre with sewing machines, dormitories, and a place where young tailors can grow.

At home, Sekai is a loving mother and a devoted Christian. Her religious background plays a central role in her life philosophy she believes in serving others, uplifting the weak, and living with humility. Her sister helps teach embroidery, and her children often model the clothes. They run the studio like a family, and that’s how students are treated too.

She finds inspiration in her late grandmother, who once sewed clothes for the family during hard times. Sekai also admires African fashion icons like Alphadi and designs from Zimbabwean cultural wear, which influence her own aesthetic.

In her free time, she enjoys gospel music, gardening, and experimenting with traditional and recycled fabrics. Her favorite color is mustard yellow, and she loves sadza with road runner chicken a meal she sometimes shares with students at lunch.

Even though she sometimes feels forgotten by local leaders and gets no government help, she’s not giving up.

“There’s talent in the villages. We just need support. We’re not asking for much just tools to keep the dream alive.”

Among her best and rising stars are Tabeth, who’s great at cutting patterns, Sheila, who designs with old jeans, and Tonderai, who recently won a local award for creative fashion.

Sekai is not yet a big name, but she has done great work. She rose from nothing and now teaches others. She is an emblem of hope, perseverance, and quiet revolution stitched together with love.