Meet Sekuru Peter Maganaiza, the oldest participant in our Movement of Life Zimbabwe project. Aged 104 and a community leader, Sekuru Peter is still working and continues to enjoy remarkably good health. Asked how he copes at this age and what his secret is, he says eating healthily is the number one thing. “If nature doesn’t make it, don’t take it,” he says.
In any country, few people manage to reach the ripe old age of 104. Among those who do, it is extremely rare that they remain healthy and active. This is especially the case in Zimbabwe, where the average life expectancy is only around 62.
Sekuru Peter lives in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, where he works at a car park directing cars. He says working helps him to keep fit and stay connected with other people. “I believe in working hard and not depending on others,” he says. Sekuru Peter previously worked as a hotel chef, and as a car mechanic.
In his spare time, Sekuru Peter is a leader in his local Salvation Army church. He also enjoys exercising and reading books. Unlike most people today, he doesn’t have a TV or smartphone. Instead, he keeps up with the latest news by listening to the radio. He says he enjoys discussing the latest stories, both from his local community and the world at large, while at work.
Sekuru Peter is very concerned about younger Zimbabweans and why they are dying earlier than they should. He believes that not eating healthily is the main reason. Other contributory factors include HIV/AIDS, which remains the leading cause of death in Zimbabwe, and illicit drug use.
Other than occasional bouts of flu and malaria, Sekuru Peter has essentially been healthy throughout his life. He uses natural remedies whenever he is sick, an approach he learned from his father. To manage his blood pressure, he finds that eating raw potato helps. He also uses avocado leaves, as well as wild plant foods and herbs. During the pandemic he refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Sekuru Peter’s favorite fruits are bananas and watermelon. He particularly enjoys drinking fruit juice. For breakfast, he starts the day by eating porridge with peanut butter. He also likes to drink green tea, eats brown bread and eggs, and sometimes has sweet potatoes. In the evening, before he goes to work, he dines on Sadza, a staple food made from white corn, a key agricultural crop in Zimbabwe, accompanied by either chicken or fish.
As a senior member of our Movement of Life Zimbabwe community gardening project, Sekuru Peter actively inspires other elderly citizens to get involved. A knowledgeable source of advice on which vegetables to plant and when, he is assisted in looking after his own garden by his great grandson. By any standards, Sekuru Peter Maganaiza is a very busy and truly remarkable man!
If you would like to help support our life-changing Movement of Life work in Zimbabwe, any donation you can make, no matter how small, will be very greatly appreciated.
