Little feet, huge footprints
adiwa Kunzekweguta (26) and Laura Nyamutora (29)

adiwa Kunzekweguta (26) and Laura Nyamutora (29)

. . . Harare’s ‘little couple’ celebrates life, love

Leroy Dzenga Features Writer

Lovebirds, Tadiwa Kunzekweguta (26) and Laura Nyamutora (29) exemplify the saying “opposites attract” in many ways.Their story, a wedding photographer wooing an office administrator from a local security company, is one that can leave cupid smiling.A friend on social media unknowingly played matchmaker by introducing the two.After months of engaging on Facebook, they set a date at a local restaurant that put faces to the names.

The lovebirds confirm that the meeting, backed by prior conversations, became the beginning of a relationship which has stood the test of time since February 4, 2014.

Their story reads like any other story between two lovebirds, but with both living with dwarfism, their love tale has been a revelation.

Dwarfism is when a human being is short in stature resulting from a medical condition caused by slow growth.It is defined as an adult height of less than 1,5 metres.

Tadiwa, from Hatfield, Harare, recalls the day the two met, narrating how nervous he was of meeting the woman who would become his companion.“Our first meeting was at a restaurant in Newlands. I was nervous as it was after a month of regular conversations on Facebook.

“She was about 30 minutes late. That was the longest 30 minutes of my life as I waited for what would become my partner. I was nervous; we were already dating online so it was not like I was meeting a friend for the first time. I was meeting my girlfriend and it was nerve-wracking in a good way,” Tadiwa said.

Tadiwa says in getting to know Laura better, he was drawn by her personality.“I grew to know that she is kind, she has an amazing heart and she is funny. I love how she is funny. I love how she is strong, fierce in an attractive way.”He said their common interest in Christianity drew them closer.Their relationship is unconventional considering that the lady at 29, is three years older than her partner.

The couple, however, are not concerned, because to them age is nothing but a number.Tadiwa jokingly said: “What I lack in age, I compensate by being six centimetres taller.”Laura, on the other hand, prefers to be with a person she is mentally compatible with regardless of how old they are.

“Initially the age gap between us was an issue for me as I saw him like a baby.“Then I realised that he treats me well and ticks all the other boxes, especially the important ones,” Laura said.

She made a choice to be with her source of happiness despite what society’s dictates may be.The two say their family and friends approve and are supportive of their relationship.

Unlike most couples, they get a lot of attention when they go about their business together in public places.This, they say, does not bother them much, except the few who border on the disrespectful divide.

“Sometimes when we are out, because of our height people get excited, some take pictures. People react to seeing us differently every time,” Tadiwa said.Laura, however, has reservations about the attention, which she finds unnerving at times.

“Some people do not seem to understand the issue of personal space. They get too close for comfort as they try to understand a couple living with dwarfism,” said Laura.

Although they could not dwell much on their past relationships, the couple mentioned that before they met they dated average height people.Their outings are characterised by food and whenever they get the chance they embark on a walk, an activity they say is therapy for their relationship.

“We love taking walks when the distances are permitting, this is because kombi rides cut our time together short.”Laura says her other half is a hopeless romantic whose strongest attribute is his ability to listen.

“Tadiwa is a good partner because he is not afraid to follow his dreams and his patience and his listening skills are the reason why I enjoy his company.”Disagreements are part of any relationship, and these two credit communication as a tool they use to overcome them as they arise.

Tadiwa said: “Whenever we have challenges, we talk things through and listen to each other. We do not dwell much on our challenges and problems.”The main issue they have not managed to iron in their two years of courting is deciding where to eat whenever they go out.

Laura reckons that their difference in personality is what makes them a formidable pair.“Mentally we are two different people with differing opinions. The work is in trying to understand your partner`s viewpoints keeping in mind that we were both raised differently and our perspectives sometimes clash,” she said.

The couple said they are building their relationship from strength to strength.All things being equal, wedding bells are not far from the horizon.Despite the fact that Tadiwa was the best runner-up photographer at the Gwanza Photography Awards in 2013, Laura says she rarely gets to feature in front of her boyfriend’s lenses.

“You have no idea how much I have to beg him for images. People think I have a personal photographer but it is not really the case.“But we do take selfies, with every meeting and this is where we get to share our craziness with the world,” said Laura.

Their friends envy what they share and applaud the level of understanding they exhibit towards each other.Eurita Mugawa has been Laura’s friend since 2006.

She says over the years she has never seen Laura as happy as she has been over the past two years.“Laura and Tadiwa have a steady and solid relationship. They are friends first, adventurous and think outside the box,” Mugwagwa said.

Mugwagwa says that their visible support for each other’s dreams is the reason why they share unmistakable affection for each other.“They can easily pick it up when the other is not well or in a good mood. These two have taught me so much about relationships, caring for each other and being selfless,” Mugawa said.

Not only do Tadiwa and Laura show compatibility in courtship, they are also involved in awareness efforts for those living with dwarfism.They work together in an initiative called the Little People of Zimbabwe which aims at dispelling blatant stereotypes loosely associated with people living with dwarfism.

“As Chimamanda Ngozi says, ‘the single story creates stereotypes, the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete’.“We are raising awareness of the condition to make people understand it more. We target people who live with the condition and those who are not,” Laura said.

Contrary to what people may see, people living with dwarfism are in no way different from any other person.“You know how people always associate people living with dwarfism with entertainment, be it dancing or clowning around. Our aim as Little People of Zimbabwe is to tell the other side of the story; that there is more to us than being entertainers and clowns,” she said.

Tadiwa and Laura are a jigsaw puzzle completed by the heavens themselves, a couple oozing with high esteem despite the condition they both share.

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