“I never tell them how old I am,” Matemavi said. “I tell them that I’ve been in school for 30 years, so I’m old enough.”
What Matemavi has fought even more than the external battles she has faced is learning to forgive herself when she makes mistakes. Matemavi is such a perfectionist that in school she would opt to write her papers in pencil so that if she made a mistake, she could erase it and her paper would still be perfect.
“If I wrote in pen and I made a mistake, you would never see me cross it out and make the correction,” she said. “I would get a brand new sheet of paper and begin all over again.”
Now, Matemavi is learning to forgive herself more. She has also found love again and is married to a man who understands her passion and doesn’t complain about her schedule, despite the fact that she currently works 120 hours a week and is on call every day.
“I’m a pampered woman who is well taken care of,” she said. “When I look at how far I’ve come, it’s truly a testament of how God can take all those ashes and make something beautiful.”
To anyone trying to figure out how to accomplish their dreams, Matemavi’s message is simple, yet profound: GO FOR IT.
“Even if you have young kids, when the kids go to bed, work on your dream…whatever it is,” she said. “If it means that you have to sleep less, so be it. You have to be willing to make sacrifices and be okay with delayed gratification.”
Matemavi will be completing her fellowship in 18 months, and said she has excelled in her field because she learned how to “do it afraid.”
“I can’t tell you how many times there was an operation on the board and I would take a look and say, ‘This is going to be such a difficult surgery,’ but I would force myself to go into that operating room with my heart racing and sweaty palms and give it my best shot. So it doesn’t matter how scared you feel, you have to do it afraid.” – Dr. Praise Matemavi
She has had to believe in herself every time she travels away and steps foot in an operating room in another hospital to recover organs because she is often the only surgeon in that hospital with the expertise to complete the task.
“There is no standard with liver transplants; each case is unique. If I run into any complications during the surgery, I am on my own and there is no one there to help me,” she said. “I either have to make a call to my home hospital to discuss my options, or I have to figure it out on my own.”
In those tense moments, Matemavi has learned to believe in herself, and always reminds herself that God has already equipped her with everything she needs to get the job done.
“God will never put you in a situation where He will leave you,” she said. “He will give you everything you need to be successful.”
Above all, Matemavi credits much of her success to God, her supportive family, and her all-time favourite Bible verse which her father led her to during her residency:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
“We have to stop limiting ourselves. Oftentimes we go to God with a little cup and say, ‘Lord, please fill my cup.’ No, get the biggest dish you can find.” – Dr. Praise Matemavi.
Despite having every excuse to give up on her dream, Matemavi has persevered and refused to let anything stand in her way. Her path to becoming a surgeon has not been the typical route, but her drive has led her to the top. And the dream of that little Zimbabwean girl whose eyes widened with wonderment as she flipped through the pages of “Gifted Hands” that night many years ago, has become a reality in a country nearly 10 thousand miles away.
Three words sum up her story perfectly: Determination. Resilience. God.
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Vimbai E. is a content marketer, ghostwriter, and the founder of The Weight She Carries. With hundreds of articles and stories publishing online, in print and for broadcast, her love of language and storytelling shines through every piece of writing that bears her name.