MEET OUR 2026 LOWER SIXTH STUDENTS

WRITTEN BY MERCY

THE FIRST FOUR LOWER SIXES ……

The moment is finally here! Drum roll!! We are so excited to start introducing our 2026 Lower Sixth students to you. Meet the first four students – Arnesha, Blessing, Tererai and Zani.

Arnesha attended Marondera High School at O-level. She was awarded a Non-Residential Scholarship and she is doing her A-Level at Monte Rosa College. She is the second born in a family of 3 children. She lives with her mother and siblings. She’s passionate about giving back to her community. During her free time, she enjoys reading. Arnesha would like to be a Neurosurgeon in the future.

Blessing attended O-Level at Zengeza 1 High. He was awarded a Residential Scholarship, and he is currently attending St Georges College. He has two siblings. His hobbies are playing soccer, listening to music and reading. In the future, he wants to be a Cardiologist and feels this is his passion.

Tererai is an enthusiastic young lady who attended Bradley High School at O-Level . She was awarded a Residential Scholarship, and she goes to St Georges College. She has one sibling, a twin sister. She enjoys playing chess, listening to music and debate. In future, she would like to become a Neurosurgeon.

Zani attended Saint Mary’s High in Chitungwiza for his O-Levels and he is excited to return there for his A-Levels. He was awarded a Non – Residential Scholarship. He has a younger sister and they both live with their mother. During his spare time, he enjoys a bit of creative writing like short stories, novels and poems which he sometimes writes with friends. Zani aspires to become a Cardiovascular Surgeon and own his own practice.

 

THANK YOU, TINAYE
We are so grateful for Tinaye who can always be counted on to step in when needed either at the office or at the A-Level boarding house. We want to thank her for helping out over the last few months, spending time with students and chipping in temporarily on the staff team. Students waved her off in January with a night full of games, emotional speeches and of course lots of food!

 

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE

The world celebrated International day of women and girls in Science on the 11^th of February. A part of the theme this year was ‘Building inclusive futures for women and girls’. We took this wonderful opportunity a new addition to our Mobile Science Lab team, Abigail! Abigail is a Makomborero alumni who is now serving on the team as a lab assistant. She is currently studying Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe.

Abigail says, ‘I joined the Mobile Science Lab team because of my passion for education but mostly my passion to help young students who are as curious about STEM subjects as I was when I was their age. Helping during practical sessions has been my best experience so far. Also, the team is great fun and they’ve been very welcoming!’

Abigail loves doing craftwork and taking long walks. She has previously volunteered as a mentor at our Girl Child Programme and this move is part of her journey to give back to Makomborero.

Thank you Abigail!

 

TABLETS FOR LOWER SIXES – STUDYING MADE EASIER!

Our incoming Non-Residential Lower Sixes have been equipped with tablets to aide in their A-Level studies. Mark Albertyn and two of our Makomborero alumni had the pleasure of presenting the tablets to the students. We are so grateful to the Makomborero alumni who have invested hours and hours into this project over the years. Not only did they develop the study app, they also load the tablets with past exam papers and continue to update the app annually.

For the majority of young people in Zimbabwe, a gadget like a tablet or an ipad is not an easily accessible study tool and for those who can get their hands on one, wifi data is very expensive. Pre-loaded study material means our students don’t have to worry about wifi. Thank you to all our donors for making such a worthy investment into the education of our students!

READY TO MEET MORE LOWER SIXES?

Please give a warm welcome to Alma, Lawrence, Tapiwanashe and Tinotenda.

Alma is an ambitious young lady who did her O-Levels at Monte Cassino Girls High. She was awarded a Residential Scholarship and she goes to St George’s College. She is part of a lively family with four siblings. She enjoys spending her free time listening to music and catching up on sleep. In future, she would like to be a Civil Engineer.

Lawrence is an only child who lives with his grandparents in Dzivarasekwa. He attended St Paul’s Musami at O-Level. He was awarded a Non-Residential scholarship and is currently doing his A-Level at Watershed College. He loves taking walks, watching movies and solving puzzles. Driven by the support of the people around him, he hopes to develop the country as well as help children with a disadvantaged background gain opportunities for a good future. Lawrence would like to be Civil Engineer in the future.

Tapiwa did his O-Level at Zengeza 1 High School. He was awarded a Residential Scholarship and is currently doing A-Level at St George’s College. Tapiwa has four siblings, he is the youngest and the only boy. He lives with both his parents in Chitungwiza. Tapiwa likes to offer a helping hand whenever he can, and he often spends his time assisting others with their schoolwork. He also likes playing chess. Tapiwa dreams of giving back to his community and improving his family’s living standards. He is a future Civil Engineer.

Tinotenda attended St Ignatius College at O-Level. He was awarded a Residential Scholarship and he goes to Hellenic Academy. He lives with his parents and three siblings. His hobbies are playing the piano, reading, casual gaming, playing chess and listening to music. In the future, Tinotenda would like to be an Engineer.

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

FINALLY

We have enjoyed this wonderful ‘month of love’. It’s been a great month of strengthening relationships all round. We leave you with these wonderful words from Canadian hockey player, Maxime Lagace – ‘To love is risky. Not to love is foolish.’ We hope you take the risk!