Nyasha Gwatidzo took a long walk last year.  She decided to walk the whole length of the River Thames from its source in rural Gloucestershire right the way to the Thames Barrier.
Her walk – just over 200 miles in total – took her 16 days and raised thousands of pounds for the Vana Trust, the charity she founded to help disadvantaged children both in the UK and in her native Zimbabwe.    

Very impressively, despite the walk being a lot harder than she had anticipated, she has also written a book about her experiences on the walk and it isn’t just about walking, it’s about what she has learned as a businessperson and as a mother and grandmother.

Her book ‘Walk with Me – through sixteen inspirational business and life tips’ is launched at a special reception at the House of Lords on October 30 and all proceeds from the book will go to the Vana Trust.   (Vana means ‘child’ in Shona.)

“I’m used to talking to people one to one in my work for Vana Trust and as head of Banya Family Placement, the fostering agency I run in South London” , Nyasha says. “I also run training courses. But I’m basically a shy person, so I knew I needed help with my speech at the House of Lords where it will be a big occasion and there will be at least fifty people in the audience.”

TV News London provided Nyasha with a tailor made one to one training course covering presentation training and also Radio and TV interview skills so that she can promote her book and the work of the Vana Trust confidently both in talks and in media interviews.

Nyasha says : “Roz gave me great tips for saying the core message about my walk and my book ‘Walk With Me’.  Thank you very much”.

“It was a privilege to work with Nyasha.  She is one of those Inspiring can-do people who don’t just look at a problem and say something must be done.  She gets on and helps people and does so much good”, says Roz Morris, TV News London’s Managing Director who ran Nyasha’s training course.   “Her book is a great read and I hope it raises a lot of money for the very worthwhile work of the Vana Trust.”

Note to networkers: Roz and Nyasha met at a meeting of Lady Val’s Professional Women’s Network earlier this year.

Read more information about Vana Trust below and visit the Vana Trust Website

Walk With Me Through Sixteen Inspirational Life and Business Tips

Why is it some people have great ideas and big dreams but are so petrified by them, they procrastinate and never put them into action? Why do they not take those crucial first steps to start up their own business or whatever else it is they have always dreamed of doing?

Walk With Me reveals what you need to think about in order to take those essential first steps.

Let Nyasha Gwatidzo guide you through the walk along the River Thames she undertook over sixteen days, helping you question and understand your passion and life’s purpose as well as how to go about implementing your ideas through her sixteen inspiring tips. She hopes they will inspire you to take a

ction and achieve your dreams. As Luc De Clapiers said, “Action makes more fortune than caution.” Find out more

Vana Trust Organic Farm

Nyasha Gwatidzo set up the Vana Trust Organic Farm in September 2009. The farm offers vulnerable children and adults opportunities to work on the farm to gain confidence, reduce anxiety and isolation and to learn practical and social skills.

More than 30 vulnerable people have benefitted from attending the farm with 5 people leaving to enter further education and over 15 achieving employment. Over £10,000 funds raised, every pound raised goes directly to the project. They have sold over £1000 of produce. Find out more

St David’s School project

Vana Trust was registered as a charity in July 2004 for the relief of poverty, sickness and distress, the advancement of education and the preservation and protection of good health of children and young people in Africa and UK.

This started with a pilot scheme in a Zimbabwe village school called St David’s School – Nyandoro. The head teacher helped identify a group of 60 children who were not able to fund costs of attending school such as the school fees and uniforms. The

se children were either orphans or their parents were affected by HIV/AIDS or poverty. Vana Trust has now sponsored the education of over 1000 children and the demand to help more children is growing. Vana Trust also supports the school by providing other materials such as books and a computer, water to the school and other building repair materials. We will soon supply a science lab. We also hope to raise funds for a much needed new nursery school building. Vana Trust’s daily ‘Breakfast Club’ now feeds over 500 children at the school. Find out more

Banya Family Placement Agency

Banya is an independent fostering provider. Their fully supported foster carers look after children and young people placed by local authorities.

Banya supports foster carer households in Greater London and beyond. Hundreds of children and young people have benefited from placements with our foster carers since Banya was founded in 1997.

They aim to provide a high standard of foster care for a range of children and young people. Banya has developed specialisms in placing sibling groups, unaccompanied children and young people from overseas, children with special needs, and troubled teenagers. Visit the Banya Website