Author: rukutitus

Is The Movember Movement Enough?

Credit: Pinterest

Mental Health

November is the annual global month that is aimed at raising awareness of men’s mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Of late, Men’s Health is in a crisis, especially with the recent pandemic of Covid 19. In the African society, males find themselves grappling with antiquated ideas of gender to the extent that it has been made “a taboo” that men do not speak out when experiencing feelings of sadness, depression, or anxiety. It is seen or regarded as not part of being “a man”. It is these societal expectations and traditional gender roles that have influenced most men not to express their feelings and finding it hard to seek mental health assistance.

The suicide rate in Zimbabwe has been soaring at an alarming rate. According to statistics most of the cases are from men. According to the Worlds Population Reviews of 2022, Zimbabwe’s suicide rate is at 14.1% with the male rate at 20% and the female rate at 8.8%. Many people are going through societal pressures making them vulnerable to suicidal tendencies. Stress is becoming chronic to the extent that many people fail to have coping mechanisms. Mental health professionals have attributed the rise in suicide due to the lack of awareness of the availability of services that provide counseling and psychological help.

“Most suicide cases are dominated by men owing to the belief that a macho man should bottle things up even if social pressures are affecting them.”

What I have come to realize is that mental health issues take time. Affected individuals need to focus on their mental issues and should make them a priority in their day-to-day life. It is very important to surround yourself with people who understand you. There is need for one to first realize that they are not okay and open up to people they are comfortable with.

Males with depression may exhibit higher levels of anger, aggression, and irritability, or showcase their distress in other “culturally acceptable” ways. Females with depression may display signs of low mood instead.

Matthew Boland, Men’s Mental Health: “Man up” is not the answer.
Okay Not To Be Okay: Marshmello, Demi Lovato

Prostate Cancer


With the turn of the century, prostate cancer has become one of leading cancer and cause of death, Prostate cancer is a chronic disease that also affects Zimbabwean men. Ironically, the awareness and comprehension awareness of the disease has been misconstrued. According to research by Paul Musarurwa, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among Zimbabweans after cervical cancer. It is the leading malignancy among black men contributing to 22.5% of all male cancers. Between 2006-2015, prostate cancer cases increased by 218% from 205 to 651. In 2016 it was the leading cause of mortality due to malignancies.

Men’s mental health and prostate cancer are important issues that often get overlooked. There is a need for awareness that would change the outdated way of thinking that seeking help is a weakness. Although the Movember Movement is a month to break the stigma around men’s mental health and prostate cancer, is it enough to address these issues?

Movember Month

So! What is Movember month?

According to Wikipedia, Movember month is an annul event which involves the growing of a mouchstach in the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health.

The movement raises awareness on men’s health such as prostate cancer and depression.

Men’s health is one thing that has been ignored since time in memorial. The African society has defined a version of the “perfect men” and this has affected how man act and behave in society.

Men are facing a health crisis which is not being talked about in the African society. Men’s mental health in Zimbabwe is a matter of concern. Being told to be a man throughout one’s upbringing and also in adulthood reinforces the idea that men ought to be tough and deal with issues on their own. This may come as a surprise, but Zimbabwe is among the countries ranked high with suicide rates in the world.

Continue reading “Movember Month” →

Passion for Life

Do you have a passion for life?

As I was reading one of my daily devotional plans, this question made me to reflect on my own life critically. It made me realise that sometimes we do things as a way of fulfilling an already established system. We are born, we go to school then college were we graduate and are absorbed in a boring job where we spend the rest of our lives complaining about how our job sucks and eventually live in misery or die.

Don’t just make a living. Make a life. Don’t just earn a paycheck. Go after the passions God has put in your heart. Halfway is no way to live; you’ve got to go all in.

Live a life with no regrets, a life that every day feels like it is your first and last day on earth. Many people are governed by the existing systems that have hindered living life as we should. Some people have been guided by blinkers that have narrowed the way our lives should be heading at the expense of going after our passions in life.

When was the last time you got outside your comfort physically, spiritually, or relationally? You tell me the last time you were uncomfortable, and I’ll tell you the last time you grew! Growth only happens when we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations.

Surely, I can not be the only one who at times gets too comfortable even in the most uncomfortable situations right? Getting comfortable in a situation makes you think that a compromising situation is okay as long as you can manage it. People tend to procrastinate on their heart desires all in the name of time not being right.

Like in the turmoil of what is happening at the present moment in our teapot nation. Many have grown accustomed to the saying ma1 or pakaipa (things are hard), but what are you doing to change your current situation. Growth only happens when we put ourselves in uncomfortable situations.

What can you do today that will make you feel uncomfortable—and fully alive?
A desire fueled by passion will bring about the greatest results in life.

Novels in Isolation

Hello everyone, its been long since the last I posted anything. I’ve not been lazy, just that the hustle of balancing a full time job and schooling at the same had me pinned into a corner.

Anyway, with this pandemic going about I seem to have a breather isolating at home. Staying at home is really a dream come true only that it is not as what I had in mind. In Zimbabwe there is this issue of electricity, you would think being at home you will catch up on your favourite series, but no you will literally be trying to save every percentage of your phone or laptop battery until load shedding is over and that is usully after 9pm.

I’m not here to whine about how it sucks living in Zimbabwe because I’ll probably write a book if not books. One thing I’ve decided I’ll be doing during this time of isolation is to Stay Home and read novels starting with these:

I have started with Dark Matter a book by Brake Crouch. If my memory serves me well, this has got to be my first Sci-fi novel I have read. If you are a fan of Sheldon Cooper you might like the novel, but as for me I’m indifferent. If I could write a review on the novel, I might probably be labelled as being contemptuous so I would rather stick to academic reviews.

My next read is The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz.

Hope you are all Staying Home in the fight to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Am I A Loner?

Am I a loner?

I find it irritating and annoying

when people invade my space.

It had never struck me before,

or maybe I have never really put my mind on it.

Like a bolt of lightning, it struck

Am I a loner? If I am, I think I like it.

I am not much of an extrovert,

neither am I much of an introvert.

I just enjoy my own company,

more than I do other people’s company.

Does that make a loner?

What if…?

(Source: Pinterest)

What if the present moment, present life was nothing but a flicker of imagination while you are still in your mother’s womb. Would you want to be born after glimpsing into the world? You are not certain of the life that you’ll have seen if it is a true replica of the outside world.What if I’m being too presumptuous and in need of a gyroscope to balance life as it is. They say when life gives you lemons make lemonade, but the inner me is fuming on such naive cliche statements. Anyways, who are they? What if I don’t what to make lemonade? What if I want to make lemon tea or lemon water?This takes me to a seminar I attended once. I liked how people talked of their success stories it was really motivating. But then again, what if one’s success story isn’t going to be the same with mine. What if the ABC stages that one took isn’t going to do for me. One man’s meat is another man’s position. What if you simply need to succeed on your own terms, choose what to do with your own lemon.What if you are your own drag down in life. The choices and decisions that you’ve made. The friends that you have or the way you’ve presented yourself to the world is the cause of the turmoils you face in life. It is human nature really to always find something or someone to blame when things head south. What if you just need a reevaluation of your life to get things back in order, if ever there was an order.What if you lived a carefree life and didn’t have to worry about people or anything. What if you were to put yourself first in all circumstances? Would that be selfish? What if you stop being a people pleaser? What if you are failing to reach your maximum potential all because you are failing to air your voice, or you are afraid to step on some people’s toes to stand by what you believe in.What if you live your life for you? After all, we die once and live every day, somehow you’ve got to make it count.

(Source:Pinterest)

“My Course Is Set For An Uncharted Sea”

(Source: Pinterest)

Who knows what the future holds? Some times you just have to sail through the uncharted waters.

Time and time again, I find myself repeating Pirates of Caribbean sequel. These movies hold one of the greatest quotes ever. One of them being:

For certain, you have to be lost to find a place that can’t be found, elseways everyone would know where it was.

Nothing of greatness ever comes easy. Some times you need to get lost for you to find yourself in life. To get yourself to that place that can’t be found. What a paradox right?

What happens after a breakup?

What happens after a heartbreak?

Sometimes good things come to an end, or do they? Can you quantify a broken relationship as good?

What happens after a breakup?

Do you take down the post and pictures on social media. All those sweet nothing messages which attracted likes and comments. Would they have been real? Or maybe, you are to create another account leaving the one which holds a lot fond memories. The Instagram and Facebook posts, stories and all, do you need to breakup with them too?

What really happens after a breakup?

Do you need to call friends and family members who used to compliment your relationship to tell them you’ve broken up? Do you need to make an announcement or a broadcast to everyone to avoid the later on questions on how your significant other is doing or rather, your used to be significant other?

What happens after a breakup?
What happens to the gifts you use to give each other? Do you throw them away. Do you burn them? Do you give them back? Do you keep them for old times sack?

Whatever happens to the memories that you shared? Do you need Pabbie, the rock troll to remove them. The sweet loving memories you used to cherish and probably promised to cherish forever.

What happens when after a breakup?