About Barbra
I grew up in a blended family. Now I’m raising one.
I was born and raised in Chegutu, a small town in Zimbabwe, in a blended family. I know what it feels like to be the child wondering where you fit.
Today I’m a stepmother. My husband and I are raising five children together. Some days it is joyful. Some days it is hard work. Most days it is both.
I didn’t find many resources that spoke honestly about blended family life, and almost none from an African perspective. So I studied, listened, made mistakes and learned. That became my first book, Thriving as a Stepmother: Equipped for Success. It also became Thriving Blended Families.
What I believe
Grace over Perfection
Belonging is built, not assumed.
Every child and adult deserves a real place in the family.
Grace over perfection.
Families are works in progress. Mistakes call for patience and forgiveness.
Relationships before rules.
Trust comes first. Authority follows.
Honesty about the hard parts.
We name loyalty conflicts, loss and money stress, so we can deal with them.
Children at the centre.
Their safety and emotional security guide everything we do.
Faith that serves.
My faith shapes how I love my family. I bring it to those who want it and impose it on no one.
CREDENTIALS
- Master’s in Migration, Wits University
- BSc in Public Administration, University of Zimbabwe
- Diploma in Leadership and Theology, AMFCC
- Diploma in Education, Belvedere Teachers College
Thriving Blended Families
The Work Behind The Book
Thriving Blended Families equips couples, parents, step-parents and children to navigate blended family life with understanding and resilience. We run workshops, programmes, mentoring and family conversations, and we work with churches, schools and community organisations.
When a family needs specialist help, we refer them to counsellors, social workers and other professionals.