Prudence Mabhena was born in the resort town of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, in 1989. She was born with arthrogryposis, a condition characterized by joint contractures. In Mabhena’s case, her arms and legs were severely twisted and stunted.
“When I was born, it brought shock to my family, especially my paternal family,” Mabhena told The Weight She Carries. “They did not expect a child with a disability, and it resulted to a lot of sorrow and shame for them.”
Mabhena’s parents separated when she was only 3 months old as a result of superstitious beliefs the family, especially her paternal family, held regarding children born with disabilities.
“My [paternal] grandmother told my mother not to feed me so that I would die because I caused sorrow and shame,” Mabhena said. “My mother then decided to take me to her mother, who accepted me and told me I was a blessing. I lived with her until I was 6 years old.”
Her grandmother, Rachel Moyo, would take Mabhena out into the field whilst she ploughed the land and would sing as she worked. Mabhena joined in singing and it was melodious.
“My grandmother was my first audience. She realized that I could sing and took me to church where she would ask me to sing,” Mabhena said.
It was her maternal grandmother who continued to raise Mabhena when her mother left for South Africa in pursuit of greener pastures when Mabhena was just four years old.
“When I turned six, my grandmother realized that I needed to attend school, so I was taken back to my father who had re-married,” she said. “I lived there from age 7 to 16. Life with my father and stepmother wasn’t easy. I would ask her to take me to the restroom and she wouldn’t. My legs and hands do not function, so I needed assistance with a lot of things. It was difficult. I lacked the support I required.”
What her stepmother did do was take her to a school called King George, which, at the time, only catered to disabled children. The school has since become inclusive to all students.
“At King George, I skipped second grade during primary school because I was very intelligent,” Mabhena said. “I wrote my Grade 7 exams whilst still in Grade 6. So, I did not go through Grade 7.”
She became involved in school plays and sang a lot. Soon, her teachers took note of her talent.
“My talent continued to grow. I joined an acapella group and was the only girl in the group,” Mabhena said. “This opened up opportunities for me because I was able to volunteer as a music teacher after school, which later on landed me permanent employment at the school.”
Another accomplishment was the creation of the marimba band, Liyana, that Mabhena was part of that consisted of 6 males and herself.
“This opportunity made us reach greater heights when we entered a local competition called Cross Words. We won in Bulawayo, which was the level where we represented the band,” she said.
The band went on to win in a different city in Zimbabwe before travelling to Mozambique to represent Zimbabwe.
“We came first, and our prize was to travel to Europe, Sweden, Netherlands, and Belgium on tour. It was a wonderful experience,” Mabhena said.
Another highlight for Mabhena was being the subject of a documentary called Music by Prudence directed by Roger Ross Williams. The film won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short and several other awards.
“The documentary won an Oscar and I met Oprah. This was such an achievement,” she said,
Although Mabhena has achieved accomplishments many only dream of, the road has been tough. One of the main challenges she faced was not being accepted in society.
“I use an electronic chair now and move around town much more easily. I’m now capable of helping myself and getting what I want,” she said. “Another challenge as a woman is men who usually want to use and take advantage of me. I have simply curbed this by not tolerating nonsense.”
As an artist, another challenge when singing is that most stages are not handicap accessible, so her band often either needs to be the curtain raisers or the last ones to perform.
In 2013, Mabhena released her first solo project, a gospel album called Ithemba Lami.
Prudence is also giving back to the community by working with a foundation for orphans called the Luyanda Uthando Foundation.
“I realized that children, especially those without parents, are vulnerable to abuse and being taken advantage of because they lack guidance and love.”
Mabhena has completed her second solo album, which will be released on July 6.
Despite her disability, she has persevered, worked hard and is an inspiration to many.
