An update from Mark and Laura Albertyn – 3rd Term 2015

It is amazing to think we have just finished our 5th year! It really feels like we are becoming more robust, more effective and more experienced at all we are doing! Reflecting on this past year and all the previous years we are blown away by the journey and how many lives are being changed!

Visitors
The 3rd term never disappoints – it is an incredibly full term and it started a little early with the wonderful Rayner Family visit from the UK – there second visit out to Makomborero Zimbabwe. We managed to pack a lot into their visit – Newlands Clinic (which was an inspiring HIV clinic doing incredible work), St Giles, Blackboard painting at Chinamora School in Domboshava, and time with current students and past students. We love how they soak themselves in everything to do with Zimbabwe and Makomborero while they are here. Thank you Sam for donating a new bicycle to the boarding house!

The Rayners also managed to arrange for a few doctors in the UK to donate stethoscopes to our 3rd year Medical Students at the University Zimbabwe – Munya’s is such a good one – on ward rounds the doctors are asking to borrow his!

The 3rd term is also the term of Leavers dances at the various schools and for those students who felt confident enough to go really enjoyed their evenings of
glamour!

The Students
Before the final examinations began all the schools had their annual prize givings and here are the prize winners from each school:

St Georges College Prize giving:

  • Rectors A’Level Certificates awarded to a student who obtained 15 points or more at A’Level – Prince Chakanyuka, Sikhosana Dhliwayo and
    Michael Dzine.
  • The Rector’s Lower sixth Certificate to a student who obtained 15 points or more in the mid-year exams – Tatenda Jonga
  • Major Lower Sixth Form Certificate awarded to a boy who obtained 12 – 14 points in the midyear exams – Marcus Mashanda and Prince Mugebe
  • Coffin Prize for Mathematics (lower sixth) – Tatenda Jonga
  • Duguid Prize for Chemistry (lower sixth) – Tatenda Jonga
  • Coppinger prize for Mathematics (upper sixth) – Michael Dzine
  • Denis Anderson Memorial Trophy for best results in Lower 6 – Tatenda Jonga

Gateway Prize Giving

  • Nicola Jeranyama – Merit Award and subject Prize for Biology & Chemistry and U6 Maths Cup 7 Science Cup
  • Yeukai Songore – Merit Award & Subject Prize for Mathematics and Physics
  • David Mupfumi – Subject Prize for Accounts
  • Bruce Migeri – Merit Award, Subject Prizes for Computing and Design & Technology

Hellenic Prize Giving

  • Tanaka Khondowe – Business Studies and General Paper commendations
  • Charlegne Rambanepasi – Accounts Prize
  • Tadiwaneshe Matambanadzo – Physics

Commendation
Another great accomplishment was that Tanaka was made a prefect at Hellenic. This is the second time one of our students has been given this honour to serve their school and we are so proud of him. He has overcome so much to be able to stand in this position and we wish him well in this new role in the coming year.

Studying

The examinations started early this year and it was an intense 2 months of exams. The students show such incredible stamina and worked incredibly hard. We
now look forward to their well earned results.

As has become a tradition we had a wonderful Christmas party filled with great food, games and presents! It is always such a wonderful opportunity for our family (especially our kids) to serve the students!

We finished the year with our Annual Graduation and held it at a hotel in town. What a wonderful celebration of our out going Upper Sixth Students and all they have accomplished over the past two years. A few tears were shed! Our hearts were full as we looked back over their time with us and sent them out with great excitement to see what the future holds for each one of them!

Joseph Mahiya who won the DStv Essay competition got to go to France to watch the rocket launch. He was able to take his mum with him and he had a fantastic trip!

We are thrilled as we will be having 4 students join the Akwanya family in August of 2016! Rufaro a full Mastercard Scholarship to an American University in Kenya and Taku, Tinashe and Ruvimbo on full Mastercard Scholarships to America. We are very thankful to Akwanya for our continued partnership!

December is an incredibly busy month with our recruitment process and this year proved to be particularly tough. With the incredibly hard living conditions in Zimbabwe due to the economic melt down in the country, the plight of the poor in so terrible worse and heart breaking. Mark and I and our team were so emotionally drained after the incredible gruelling process but we are so thrilled to have 8 fantastic new students starting with us in January. We will be publishing their stories shortly!

Mobile Laboratory
We are thrilled to have started work on our Mobile Science Laboratory that will travel round high density schools giving laboratory time to students and training teachers. The laboratory is a converted container and has been kitted out with state of the art equipment. We are not just looking for funding to
run the laboratory! This will be an incredible tool for impacting a vast number of students in and around Harare. We are very excited by this project!

Sponsors
Our students spent a wonderful day at Atlas Copco – it was very informative, inspiring and they all thoroughly enjoyed their morning. Thank you Atlas Copco for your continued commitment to Makomborero.

Thank you again to all our valued sponsors. This year could not have been as successful as it was without your incredible support.

Sponsors2015

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1 Comment. Leave new

  • Sian Atterton
    February 8, 2016 2:19 am

    Love hearing this update. So proud of you guys, and all you and the students have achieved! Inspiring! Missing you guys….

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