END OF TERM – LOT’S ACHIEVED

WRITTEN BY MERCY

We have come to the end of March and the end of Term 1 for our A-Level students. We can’t believe it’s been 3 months since we welcomed 16 new faces into the Makomborero family. Some were shy and timid to start with and a little unsure of themselves. The change in the students is remarkable. At the boarding house, they can often be seen walking around singing out loud or chatting and laughing in groups or helping aunty Patricia in the kitchen or playing with Luna and Willow and much more that attests to their ease in the house. Staff at non-residential students’ schools have commented on how well our Makomborero students are doing and their confidence. We are so proud of all of them and look forward to seeing them continue to grow.

 

LET’S MEET FOUR MORE STUDENTS

A huge welcome to Derrick, Keane, Lerato and Vanessa!

Derrick attended Kutama College for O-Level where he discovered his passion for AI neural networks. He was awarded a Residential Scholarship, and he goes to St Johns College. He grew up in a single-parent household with his mother. Derrick loves to read, is intrigued by psychology and enjoys coding. He also enjoys connecting with various people of all walks of life; he believes that every person he meets has a story to tell and most importantly, a lesson to teach him. He aspires to major in Deep Learning Engineering.

Keane is a future Software Engineer. He attended Matopo High School for O-Level. He was awarded a Residential Scholarship and is currently attending Gateway High. He is the second child in a family of five. He likes to play chess during his free time and he speaks French. He believes that a person can do anything they set their mind to. He has a lot of motivational stories to tell and can’t wait to share them with others!

Lerato is an only child and lives with her mother in Harare. She is fascinated by the brain and its complexities and would like to be a Neurosurgeon. She attended Hillbright Science College at O-Level. She was awarded a Residential Scholarship and she goes to Hellenic Academy. Lerato is a determined and disciplined young lady who wishes to one day help children with neurological conditions in her community. In her free time, Lerato enjoys reading African literature and playing marimba.

Vanessa attended O-Level at Nyazura Adventist High School where she has returned for her A-Level. She was awarded a Non-Residential Scholarship. She is the first of two children. She enjoys reading books and doing charity work. She wishes to make the world a better place by reducing poverty, reducing crime and reducing drug abuse. She would like to be a future Medical Scientist.

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN MARCH

In the month of March we joined the rest of the world in celebrating women! The theme for this year was ‘Leading the change: Women shaping a substantial future.’ We want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to the women who play important roles in making Makomborero run smoothly – leading in their different areas and shaping futures of young Zimbabweans. We asked them to sum up in a few words why they do what they do.

 

A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SUPPORT MAKOMBORERO

Ngoni and team

During the December holidays, residential A-Level student Ngoni, alongside his peers from St George’s College, developed an innovative robotics project tackling the fall armyworm crisis. The fall armyworm is a destructive, chronic, chewing pest native to the Americas and is a major threat to Zimbabwe’s maize production.

Their solution? An autonomous rover capable of identifying and precisely spraying the pests.

Ngoni and team were able to enter the project into the Zimbabwe Science Fair, where their project ranked among the top 200 in the country. They won silver in their category

and earned a place to represent Zimbabwe at the CASTIC Science Competition in Asia.

Beyond the awards, Ngoni speaks of growth in teamwork, communication, and collaboration, skills that will carry him far beyond the classroom.

Tapiwa and Derrick

Tapiwa and Derrick, our two St Johns College students recently engaged their creativity and took part in the Chisipite Science Fair. Their challenge? To design and build model bridges. A thoughtful design, knowledge gained over the years, careful measuring and sturdy hands all made for an exciting process and built up the anticipation for the final result. Well done to these three Makomborero gents! Thanks to your donations and support, we are able to buy necessary components and support students showing off such inspiring innovation.

 

CAN YOU PICTURE 440 000 LITRES OF WATER?

That’s just what our new water reservoir at the A-Level boarding house can hold, thanks to Beit Trust! It captures rainwater which is stored, purified and pumped back into the house for use. After two years of drought in Zimbabwe, this is a welcome development that will alleviate the water issues that were being faced at the boarding house. Thanks to our Gap Year students Bethany and Tawana for taking these great progress pictures.

INTRODUCING THE FINAL FOUR LOWER SIXTH STUDENTS

Last but not least, please help us welcome Arnold, Betty, Ingrid and Makatendeka and help us wish them the very best for their time at Makomborero!

Arnold studied O-Level at Seke 5 High. He was awarded a Non-Residential Scholarship and is currently doing his A-Level at Zengeza 1 High. Arnold is the first born in a family of three children. He loves chess, music and enjoys solving maths problems. His dream is to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. He dreams of becoming a Neurosurgeon in the future.

Betty studied O-Level at Mabvuku High School. She was awarded a Residential Scholarship and goes to Gateway High. She is the youngest of two siblings. She lives with her uncle and his family. Since Form One, Betty’s dream has been to become an Architectural Engineer as well as a Social Life Mentor. She enjoys socialising, playing games with friends, reading novels, and running.

Ingrid attended Visitation Makumbi High School for O-Level. She was awarded a Residential Scholarship, and she goes to Hellenic Academy. She is the only child in her family. She aspires to become a Medical Doctor and specialise in Radiology. Her main ambition is to assist people in any way possible and become an active contributing member of society. She is interested in art, literature, poetry, fictional and non-fictional writing, history and cooking. Her favourite subject is Biology because she feels it is the literature of life.

Makatendeka is a passionate girl who attended Goromonzi High school for her O-Level. She was awarded a Non-Residential Scholarship and goes to Watershed College. She has three older sisters. She aspires to become a brilliant doctor one day. Her favourite hobbies include singing and dancing.

MOBILE SCIENCE LAB AND THE GIRL CHILD PROGRAMME – IT’S A WRAP

Both the Mobile Science Lab and the Girl Child Programme had their final sessions for the term this month of March. Both sessions were fantastic with good reflections on the term just passed. There was good food served at both occasions and the traditional end of term football game meant some healthy competition at the Mobile Science Lab. Girl Child Programme mentees walked away with sanitary pants, thanks to your donations! We will journey with our 30 Girl Child mentees for two more terms, but we’ve said a final goodbye to our 15 Mobile Science Lab students – we will miss them dearly.

 

SAVE THE DATE – SUPPORTER’S EVENT

We’re delighted to announce that our next online Supporters’ Event will take place on 11 June at 7pm (UK time).
It has been almost a year since we last gathered in April, and we’re looking forward to sharing reflections on the past twelve months and all that has been achieved together. This year, we are especially honoured to hear from Mercy, our remarkable Operations Manager. Mercy is at the heart of Makomborero’s work. She oversees our programmes with wisdom, compassion and unwavering dedication, walking alongside our students through both challenges and triumphs. We are thrilled that she will be sharing firsthand insights into the realities of our work and the lives being transformed every day. Mark and Laura will also be joined by both current students and alumni, who will share personal stories about the impact Makomborero has had on their lives. More details will follow soon, but for now, please save the date. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an informative and inspiring evening as we celebrate our community and give thanks for your continued support.

 

SPONSORED WALK – PETER’S COMMUTE

Do you have children in senior school, or do you work in a school community? We would love to partner with schools willing to host a sponsored walk in support of Makomborero. We’re inviting students to take part in a sponsored walk — over a distance of their choosing — one morning before school. It’s a simple but powerful way to reflect on the reality that, in many parts of the world, education is still a privilege rather than a right.
The idea was inspired by one of our very first students, Peter. Each day, Peter walked 15 miles to school — and 15 miles home again. His extraordinary commitment to learning captured the heart of Makomborero in its earliest days. After receiving a scholarship, Peter went on to qualify as an accountant. Today, he supports his extended family and contributes to his wider community.

Peter’s determination reminds us why access to education matters — and why we continue this work. We would be delighted to help you organise your school’s walk, including setting up a fundraising page and providing promotional materials and leaflets. If your school would like to take part, please get in touch at jacquelyn@makomborero.info together, we can help more students walk towards a brighter future

 

AND FINALLY,

Thank you all for this successful term motivated by our common goal – to play our part in educating young people from all walks of life in Zimbabwe. We leave you with this wonderful quote from Educator and former Minister of Education, Sports and Culture of Zimbabwe, Fay Chung:

“Education is a tool for empowerment. Especially for those who have been marginalised.”