ONE ON ONE INTERVIEW WITH DOCTOR MEJURY CHIPATO

Interview By Keegan Chipato

Glad to have you present for this interview. Over the years, the name “Mejury Chipato” has become closely associated with excellence and pristine elegance. With that in mind, how would you describe yourself and your life journey thus far?

I am a hardworking and goal-driven individual who is not afraid to face any challenge and l never give up. I am passionate about what l do. I am resilience personified and a fighter. I am tender hearted but tough minded. I am dedicated to redefining the status quo and I am in charge of my narrative. Above all l am a woman of faith, a child and servant of God.

You’re an extremely multifaceted career woman who has exemplary credentials as a Pastor, Philanthropist, Medical Doctor, Professional Certified Coach, Published Author, and an entrepreneur. Could you let us know a bit about your past and how it contributed to who you are today?

My past, as elaborately outlined in my maiden memoir, was economically challenging and birthed in me a desire to rise above the status quo and help others going through similar experiences. All the roles you have outlined have a common denominator: helping people. A Pastor, Life Coach, a Philanthropist, a medical Doctor and an Entrepreneur all help people and solve problems. The difference is in their respective scopes and in the reach of their influence. Given the trajectory of my future aspirations and the legacy of what I have had to overcome, I don’t want to simply help one kind of a person; I want to be able to help people in a multifaceted and practical way. I want to be able to pray for the sick and also give them medicine and treat them. I want to be able to pay the fees of financially challenged people while empowering them with the fortitude and means to forge their own destinies. I want to be able to immediately meet short term needs while empowering people for long term relevance. I also equally want to provide solutions to people’s everyday problems through business.

As previously mentioned, you are quite multifaceted. This prompts me to ask what exactly pushed you to become a medical doctor all while pursuing roles in ministry and Business. Could you shed some light on this?

Becoming a medical doctor has always been my childhood passion. I wanted to help and treat people. As for the business side, l come from an entrepreneurial background, so it’s something that l inherited it from my family. Being a Pastor is God’s call upon my life and l come from a strong Christian background. My parents are Evangelists; l guess a fruit doesn’t fall far from its tree.

Being a successful career woman can be extremely demanding and challenging. What are some of your main sources of motivation to keep going every day despite the intense pressure?

Take everything one step at a time. Excellence is a journey and not necessarily a destination. Pressure will always be there, and it can be tempting to give in to the need to constantly be on the go because there is so much that needs to be achieved. I stay motivated by putting my desire to be excellent in perspective and training myself to take one step at a time and give the best possible effort I can manage to muster for the task that is right in front of me at any given moment.

On another interesting note, you were recently awarded the Fashion Designer of the year at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards. Would you mind sharing with us about the significance of the award and what the overall experience meant to you?

This was one of the most humbling moments in my life; to actually get recognized for your work nationwide and be awarded for it. The award opened many doors for me in terms of getting new clients across the globe and getting international recognition. My brand got featured on many platforms including the Zim Influencer’s Magazine, She Glows Africa Magazine, China-Africa Magazine, Independent Online (IOL) News - South Africa, The Diplomatic Society News, MTN Play News, Ghanamma News - South Africa, ZimFocus News, Flipboard News, The Sunday Mail - Zimbabwe, The Lionesses of Africa, etc.

Taking into account all the pressure and demand associated with your various roles, how do you balance it all?

If I had a coin for every time, I got asked this question, I would be a millionaire on the back of this question alone. I am humbled that I get asked this. To be honest, I try to see myself as the common denominator of all the roles I assume and the hats I wear. I can only be in one place at a time, and I can’t do everything at once; lest I wear myself down or give a lacklustre effort to my tasks. I focus on bringing a sense of excellence to the things I do. One thing I am good at and which my parents modelled for me was hard work. So, the challenge for me isn’t working hard but figuring out what urgently needs my attention. I try to find ways to make incremental progress in everything I do. Since I am the common denominator of all my assignments, if I can find a way to have a sense of momentum in one thing, it spills over into how effectively I manage the other things. For instance, doing my work as a businesswoman refreshes and refills me after being exhausted by the demands of the medical field which is my passion; philanthropy gives me a renewed hope so that I get to show up at work fired up and reenergized and it has been both rewarding and fulfilling.

What advice would you give to other women who are following in your footsteps?

I am humbled to know that my footsteps are deemed worthy of being emulated. My hope is that you would see my steps as a model for your life; something to give you a sense of where you are supposed to be and mitigate time wastage and mistakes. I encourage you to learn from my life without losing the unique fingerprint and DNA that makes you ‘you’. Remember, there is more to life than simply getting married and having children. You can educate, equip, upgrade, empower and invest in yourself. There is so much we can do as women. In this technologically inclined generation, you can start your business online. Learn about important life skills that you need and make a living out of them. Familiarize yourself and always update yourself with the new emerging technology and online skills. Most entrepreneurs are making a living out of this. And most importantly, Life is like an exam, you must prepare, plan and work hard to succeed. Learn to be an independent woman and don’t give up no matter what obstacles you come across in your journey to becoming financially independent. Remember you are running your own race, and when you are in your own lane, there is no traffic! Find mentors and put God first in everything that you do.

Thank you for graciously partaking in this interview. Let’s cap this off with some insight into your aspirations for 2023 and beyond?

In 2023 l am pursuing God more, focusing on establishing myself in terms of my career and where l want to settle, as well as working towards establishing and growing my businesses.