Rotorua woman set to wow with bucket-balancing abilities (+ video)

Rotorua-based Zimbabwean Faustinah Ndlovu will display her water bucket-balancing skills when she joins more than 100 runners and walkers this month.

They will meet in Hamilton for a fun run/walk to raise funds for the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library on February 25.

Ms Ndlovu is the founder of Tariro Project which has raised money to build an early childhood learning centre at her former primary school, Domboreshato Primary School.

She also hopes to raise money to build a library.

"The Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust initiative is a noble one which deserves the support of everyone who believes in access to information as an empowering transaction.

BALANCE: Rotorua's Faustinah Ndlovu will be balancing a bucket of water on her head again in a fun run/walk. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

"As a Zimbabwean I cannot be found wanting in this. I will mobilise the Zimbabwean

community in Rotorua to support the good work being done to benefit the children in our country."

Balancing water buckets at an early age is normal practice for rural Zimbabwean girls and Ms Ndlovu said she started balancing 20-litre buckets of water at 10.

Chairman for the Zimbabwe Rural Schools Library Trust in New Zealand, Driden Kunaka, commended Ms Ndlovu for her gesture and encouraged people not to miss the water bucket balancing act.

"Faustinah is a philanthropist in her own right and goes out of her way to support
initiatives focusing on improving the lives of the underprivileged.

"It is a rare opportunity for many New Zealanders to see a human being walk balancing a 20-litre bucket full of water and understand the way of life in another part of the world," said Mr Kunaka.

Initiated by twin sisters Shefali and Shivani Sinha in 2015, the fun run/walk has become an annual event to mark International Book Giving Day.