I am the second born, and the eldest male child in my family which consists of four children. With an older sister and two younger brothers, I was raised by both my parents in Chitungwiza. My mother is a housewife and my father is the breadwinner of the family.
I spent all seven years of my primary education at Seke 11 Primary school, the first four years of my secondary education at Seke 3 High school, and the last two years at Zengeza High school. I will be applying for admission at Yale University(Connecticut, USA) and I’m looking forward to studying mechanical engineering there commencing Fall 2018.
The greatest lesson I have learned to this day is that regardless of how “too far fetched” a dream may seem, with organisations like Makomborero Zimbabwe and people like Mark and Laura Albertyn, it is always achievable.
My dream is to see Zimbabwean aerospace engineering rise, mostly because I always find it hard to accept the fact that no aeroplane model has been invented in Zimbabwe ever. I feel ashamed because of this and I’ve always wanted change to take its course. Also, the situation of our aircraft facilities is really terrible.
During high school, I witnessed a lot of planes flying by, but was always puzzled by the virtual absence of our own local airline, Air Zimbabwe. It was really rare for one to see an aeroplane with the tag “Air Zimbabwe”. In 2014 it was reported that an Air Zimbabwe plane was involved in a mid-air engine scare. Following that, in June 2016, an Air Zimbabwe plane spent about an hour above Harare International Airport failing to land due to some engine fault . Our aircraft technology is really lagging behind albeit we are in the 21st century. Having pondered about the situation, I then put it upon myself to fight for positive change. I hope to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills, from Yale university, to revive the aircraft facilities of my motherland, Zimbabwe.
As with many dreams, my dream has sustained me through severe blows from several sectors of my life. My father being the only breadwinner, and with no specific profession, couldn’t fund my education. At times I was sent back home from school due to non payment of fees.
My acceptance as a Makomborero Zimbabwe external student saw the dawn of this. Besides getting financial assistance to study at Zengeza High school, I also received text books for every subject that I took. This sparked great improvement in my performance and I quickly got to the top of the class. Beforehand, I never knew that I was intelligent to the extent of scooping 98% in an Advanced Level Physics exam, come first in a science Olympiad exam, and be the best student in Physics at Zengeza High School. I am grateful and indebted to to Makomborero Zimbabwe for believing in me even when I did not believe in myself, and for seeing in me what I couldn’t see.
Apart from getting a scholarship to study Advanced Level, I got a mother, a mentor, a role model, and a reason to work hard for the betterment of my society. From a distance, my relationship with Laura Albertyn blossomed into a strong mother-son relationship. She’s a nice woman. With a heart to improve lives, she impacts positively in the lives of many people. I couldn’t afford to pay the registration fee for my SAT but as a result of her kindness, she, sponsored my SAT exam.
I have long since wished to let Mrs Albertyn know that I will always remember that I am stronger than I feel, braver than I believe and smarter than I think. I have witnessed her shed tears of joy for her students, and in turn that has made me want to make her proud. She has been an inspiration in my life, a blessing only God Almighty can give. Mrs Albertyn, Mama, I am forever thankful to God for bringing you into my life. You and Mark Albertyn, my father, mean a lot to me in a way that I probably always fail to explain. Now I know how it feels to have surrogate parents. Thank you!
