Phumudzo Shakes Mbedzi (31) and Mutshutshu Gilbert Madzivhandila (51) are positive thinkers who want to encourage other people to accept themselves as they are. These friendly guys, who are both short, say nothing is more fulfilling than being proud of who you are.
Both men are highly respected in their communities, with Mbedzi being a famous gospel musician from Khubvi village and Madzivhandila a subsistence farmer from Makonde village.
"I don't understand why people feel sorry for us. After all, we are created in God's image. There is nothing wrong with us. People are built differently; some are short, while others are tall. God gave us these precious bodies for a reason, and we appreciated His grace," says the happy-go-lucky Mbedzi.
His sentiments are echoed by Madzivhandila, who says his body shape makes him the happiest person on earth. "I am not ashamed of myself; I am very beautiful. People might judge me by my height, but that does not bother me. My height is my advantage because I can do other things that tall people find difficult to do, like quickly and easily picking something up from the ground," he laughs.
They admit, however, that growing up was difficult. "Many people regarded us as outcasts when we were young. Some kids would not play with us, but as time went by, people accepted us as part of the community. Growing up under these difficult conditions only made us strong, and we worked hard until people realised that there is nothing wrong with us. Today, we are independent, grown-up men, regarded as role models to many," says Mbedzi.
Madzivhandila remembers his school days. "Teachers and fellow learners treated me with kid gloves, and I didn't like it. Eventually, they accepted me as one of their own and treated me like everyone else. It makes me happy to see myself as a grown man today who has defeated the humiliation and segregation from my own people," he adds.
The two men now want to form a support group for short people, to help them accept themselves. They say they would like to venture into television acting, but for this they need people who can help them get into the industry.
Mbedzi can be reached on 071 290 0048 and Madzivhandila on 071 115 2364.