After 22 gruelling days and more than 510 kilometres on foot, Tsumbedzo Mukoma and Murunwa Maphangwa received a heroes’ welcome at Makhado Crossing on 10 July as they completed their anti-drug awareness campaign.
The two young women from Tshiozwi outside Louis Trichardt undertook the journey to spread hope, encourage young people to reject substance abuse and show that recovery and healing are possible.
For Tsumbedzo, completing the walk symbolised far more than reaching the finish line.
“It means proof,” she said. “Proof that I can finish something hard, that my life has purpose, and that my past doesn’t have to define my future.”
Murunwa described the journey as a testament to hope.
“It means hope is possible. The 510km showed me that when you walk with a purpose, communities walk with you too.”
Tsumbedzo said her own struggle with drug addiction inspired the campaign. She explained that she had turned to drugs while searching for an escape from emotional pain.
“I was young, dealing with pain, peer pressure and no one to talk to. Drugs felt like the answer, but they became the problem,” she said.
She said the turning point came when she realised she was losing herself and hurting those closest to her.
“I wanted to be an example, not a warning. I wanted to turn my pain into purpose.”
Recovery, she admitted, was the hardest journey of her life, marked by withdrawal symptoms, shame and the challenge of rebuilding herself. She credited her family, Murunwa and the support of local communities with helping her overcome addiction.
During the walk, the pair visited schools and communities, meeting young people and parents affected by drug abuse.
“One learner told me, ‘Sisi, I thought no one cares.’ That broke me and pushed me. That’s why we walked,” Tsumbedzo recalled.
Murunwa said she joined the campaign because she believed in Tsumbedzo’s courage to transform painful experiences into a message of hope. The pair said the journey was physically demanding, with blisters, scorching heat and long distances testing their endurance, while hearing heartbreaking stories of addiction took an emotional toll.
Despite the hardships, they said the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“Schools welcomed us, parents shared their stories, leaders prayed with us, and many young people told us they choose life. That gave us hope.”
They plan to continue visiting schools, hosting community dialogues, sharing awareness messages on social media and helping people access rehabilitation services. They also hope to raise funds to assist those who cannot afford rehabilitation, treatment and other support services.