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Students reap the fruits of local fundraising effort

Two students, a freshman in the agriculture faculty and a graduating student in education, are the first beneficiaries of scholarship grants that were raised during an April fundraising event in Harare.

Scholarship recipient, Susan Nyamutenda

(Left:) NicozDiamond CEO, Grace Muradzikwa and Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe MD, Pindie Nyandoro (right) want Zimbabwe’s corporate sector to do more to support AU. The two business leaders launched a major donor campaign in Zimbabwe in April. Two students, a freshman in the agriculture faculty and a
graduating student in education, are the first beneficiaries of scholarship
grants that were raised during an April fundraising event in Harare.

The event, which launched a major donor campaign by two of Zimbabwe’s leading businesspersons, Mrs. Grace Muradzikwa and Ms. Pindie Nyandoro, brought together many local philanthropists and corporate leaders. After hearing about the University’s
work and the difficulties that some students are having in accessing its p r o g r a m m e s because of poor finances, a number of companies and individuals pledged to assist with s c h o l a r s h i p s and other needs.

Scholarship recipient Louis Taderera

Three full scholarships and bursaries in various amounts were raised
at the event and several individuals indicated an interest in partnering with the
University in other areas as well. Among them was Rob Duncan, the Managing Director of Montana Meats Zimbabwe. Duncan committed the company, a prime producer and supplier
of Zimbabwean beef, to a full scholarship for one agriculture student for
three consecutive years.

Earlier this month, the University awarded the Montana Meats Scholarship to a first-year agriculture student, 28-year-old Louis Taderera. The faculty chose Taderera from a field of five nominees on basis of both need and merit.
His performance in the “A” level examinations was exceptional and he’s a hard worker. Now that the barrier of his extended family’s inability to pay the fees has been lifted, he says he has little doubt that he can achieve his
dream of becoming an agricultural engineer. Fellow student Susan Nyamutenda also speaks of a sense of release from constant worry now that she has been awarded a full scholarship from the Munotidaishe
Trust. Her scholarship is the fulfillment of a pledge made by Patterson Timba, the Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Bank. Nyamutenda says it has allowed her to focus her full attention on her studies for the first time in
her four years at the University. For Muradzikwa and Nyandoro, the early results of the local fundraising campaign are heartening but that’s just the beginning. They say that they are reaching
out to their fellow business leaders because it’s time for the corporate sector in Zimbabwe to do more to support of the University.

Left:) NicozDiamond CEO, Grace Muradzikwa and Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe MD, Pindie Nyandoro (right) want Zimbabwe’s corporate sector to do more to support AU. The two business leaders launched a major donor campaign in Zimbabwe in April.

“If human resources are your most important resource and you are not getting involved in the development of that key resource, then for all intents and purposes, you are not doing anything which ensures the sustainability of your business,” said Muradzikwa. “I feel very strongly
that the Zimbabwe business community should be able to put up a structure at Africa University, something permanent that we can point a finger at and say: ‘This is what was done by the Zimbabwean community,’” said Nyandoro. “We need to now start doing things for ourselves.” The two businesswomen note
that as a beginning, their April event put support for Africa University on the agenda for Zimbabwe’s business leaders. New relationships are opening up and old relationships are being re-energized.
Their hope is that with ongoing communication about impact and needs, the University will find strong and committed friends in the business sector; friends who will give to the University annually for such needs as
scholarships for students, research funding and the construction of physical facilities.

A building for the on-campus health clinic and the development of a small shopping centre to save students and staff from having to go to the city centre for groceries, hairdressing, banking and other services are just two of
the’big project” ideas being considered. Muradzikwa, the CEO of NicozDiamond Insurance, serves as Secretary of the Africa University Board of Directors. Nyandoro is Managing Director of Stanbic Bank
Zimbabwe. Both women are members of the Development Committee of the Board. Their goal is to raise funds for a
building on campus and get companies to give to the University annually for scholarships and research funding.