Makomborero Zimbabwe is excited to finally introduce our Mutsidzira project winners for 2023!
Mutsidzira is an annual community grant that invites past Makomborero students to apply for financial help in order to fund their proposed projects. The main aim of this grant is to invest into and revive communities. Applicants choose a community that they want to see transform and come up with innovative ideas that can help achieve this. Mutsidzira was launched in 2020 with three projects starting in 2021, one project in 2022 and two projects in 2023 which are still going in 2024. Let’s meet Morrison and Noel, our 2023 Mutsidzira Grant recipients and find out more about them and their winning projects!
First up is Morrison. He is studying Energy and Power Systems Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe. His chosen community is the Makomborero University Residence where he currently lives. He says, ‘I just felt it right to start by changing the lives of those closest to me before I can reach for the whole country or world.’
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m usually studying, when I’m not studying I’m working on some projects. Most of the time I will be programming microcontrollers and thinking of ways to use them with sensors. I enjoy problem solving for everyday life issues.
Why did you apply for a Mutsidzira grant?
It’s a way I can implement/put into practice the knowledge I’m getting from university – helping my community by solving problems. I feel there is no point of getting the knowledge if it can’t help solve the daily problems we encounter.
Tell us a bit about your project
My project is in two parts, the first part is a water pump automatic switch. In my community we use water pumped from a borehole, the pump has a damaged automatic switch so there was a need for the students to switch on and off manually, which was leading to loss of pumped water during tank over-flow. I designed a circuit that is currently switching the pump off and on when necessary, the project has been running perfectly since last year.
The second part of my project consists of a homemade biogas digester. My community has been struggling with disposing organic waste and the other issue we have is the expense of cooking gas. So this project aims to reduce the amount of organic waste and produce environmentally friendly low cost cooking gas. The biogas digester will be producing gas from the organic waste and we will be using this gas by end of April 2024.
What are you hoping to achieve with your project
I’m hoping my projects serve my community for at least 4 years. If my project makes it to 4 years of serving people then I will take that as a success.
Next up is Noel, a Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Zimbabwe. His chosen community is Nyatsime in Chitungwiza. ‘Because I grew up there, it’s my community.’
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a big football fan, I spend quite a lot of time watching and following football. I’m also an author specializing in crime fiction and romance, so naturally I spend most of my time writing my books.
Why did you apply for a Mutsidzira grant?
I had a brilliant idea and wanted to help the underprivileged in my community but lacked capital. The grant presented a perfect opportunity.
Tell us a bit about your project
We source honey from large farmers, package it into 250mg tubs and sell to various clients. We started off in Chitungwiza but now sell in most areas in Harare. We use the profits to buy writing materials (pens, pencils, rulers and math sets) for underprivileged students in Nyatsime in Chitungwiza. So far, we have distributed to 14 children in Nyatsime.
What inspired you to choose this project?
Sympathy for others and the unshakable desire to help the underprivileged in my community.
What are you hoping to achieve with your project?
To have provided writing materials for around 50 students by the end of our year.
These two young men are inspiring! We love the way they take ownership of their chosen communities and are giving back right where they are. We wish them well and can’t wait to see their progress in the coming months!
