The photograph: a poster in a maintenance room, advertising repair of electric motors.

The story: it starts with a power cut – something the protagonist and her daughter Thembi are used to. Mhangami-Ruwende explores the difficulties faced by her characters as they try to get on with their lives in contemporary Zimbabwe. In particular, Thembi wants to get an education in order to have more options – but, just like the light she needs to study by, her way forward may be precarious. ‘Opportunity’ provides an elegant and broad examination of its issues.

Links: Barbara Mhangami-Ruwende / interview with Mhangami-Ruwende about her story

This is one of a series of posts on the anthology Still. Click here to read the rest.