Change Student Lives through Education in Zimbabwe

This last term of the year has been a packed one! Blooming jacarandas and a promising rainy season gave an air of expectancy all around Zimbabwe. Our A-Level students were immersed in exams and the rest of our projects were working well to bring a successful year into close. There were great achievements to be celebrated thanks to you our donors and sponsors!

A-level students

Our A-Level Boarding House had the verandah roof re-done in time for the rainy season. A new study desk was put in place as part of an ongoing project. The pantry and Mobile Lab storage rooms were both painted and re-organised. With the price of wood and building materials continuously rising in Zimbabwe, these projects were no small feat cost-wise. After the holidays, our students came into a much-improved home! Exams began not long after the start of the term in September and finished mid-November. The team in Harare supported both Residential and Non-residential students through this pivotal time. For Residential students, there were complex school runs to make sure that each student arrived at their school on time and was collected on time. For Non-Residential students, there was support during Life Skills sessions as well as support and encouragement from staff on WhatsApp groups. We would also like to congratulate all A-Level students who won academic, sport and other prizes at their various Prize Giving Ceremonies.

A few of the A-Level students have attended Leavers Dances/Proms at their schools and it has been a joy to watch them unwind after an intense term!

We are beyond excited to let you know that we have new dogs at our A-Level boarding house, Luna and Willow! Luna is a female maltese who is excitable but generally calm. Willow, named by the students themselves, is a male maltese. He loves to play and to stand on his back legs. Both dogs were rescued from the Harare SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The two are getting on well as they get to know the students and explore the house, the pool-side and the gardens at the boarding house. They have brought much joy to students and to staff alike!

University students

Our University Residence opened for the current semester in August and will close in December. We took advantage of the holidays to freshen up the University Residence with a fresh coat of paint in the kitchen and a new cooker that serves our students a lot better! A new microwave now graces the newly painted kitchen. The kitchen now has 8 new chairs and a brand-new kettle. A cage has been added to the outside of the kitchen enhancing safety and providing a great space to store their donated bicycle. Koby and Floky are not complaining either, they’re enjoying their naps in the shade! We’ve also repaired and painted fascia boards all around the house. It’s wonderful to be able to serve the 20 current students in this way and to know that these improvements will serve other students for years to come. This semester, students are extremely busy and most are feeling the pressure of writing exams as often as fortnightly in some cases. They remain focused and positive during these challenging times and we are proud of them for that.

2026 A-Level students

Our Selection Process for 2026 students ended with home visits as the final part of the selection. It was an incredible time for 4 of our team in Zimbabwe to be welcomed into the homes of potential students. We are delighted to share that our incoming 2026 A-Level Scholarship students (currently in Form 4, their final year of GCSEs) received subject books to help them to study for their O-Level exams. We have enjoyed meeting them and can’t wait to introduce these wonderful students to you in the new year!

Ndeipi Small Business Training enjoyed its final session for the year at the end of October. All that’s left is to present the enthusiastic participants with their certificates at the graduation ceremony in December. We are proud of all they have achieved, particularly in their use of the USD$1 to start projects that looked after them and their families.

The Girl Child Mentorship Programme ended on a high note! The celebratory end of year lunch was a great success. Mentees received certificates for their achievements through the year including learning life skills, participating in sessions and doing community service at their schools,

The Mobile Science Lab sessions have seen 100% attendance with added impressive punctuality. The 15 students have enjoyed Biology and Physics experiments and have made friends across their 3 schools. They designed and printed 3D models that they got to take away at the end of the term. Thanks to donated funds, we were able to send each student away with a 6kg bag of porridge. They too had a fantastic end to the term with a nice lunch and a legendary game of football.

What’s in store for the rest of the term?

A lot! We are looking forward to another UK event on the 26^th November. There’s one more Leavers Dance/Prom for Residential students to attend. Our Makomborero Graduation Ceremony to celebrate the class of 2025 is lined up for December, so is the Christmas Party and Camp. We will finish off the term with community service - blackboard painting at a school on the outskirts of Harare.

Thank you

A huge thank you to you, our sponsors, donors and friends for the incredible support throughout this term!