Greatness in the face of adversity, as five under-privileged students secure Mnangagwa’s ED-UNZA, scholarship to pursue mining and geological engineering at UZ

By Staff Writer

NELIA Fundu, a 21 year old young intellect from rural Zvishavane was born in a less privileged family with other five siblings.

Her father relies on menial jobs to put food on their table but has of-late developed health complications which makes it difficult for him to fend for his family.

Nelia was one of the best students in her class and always displayed her burning desire to improve her life circumstances.

Her education journey was marked by financial difficulties, inadequate educational facilities and societal prejudices among other burdens.

However she excelled academically throughout her school years, demonstrating extraordinary intelligence , hard work and passionate commitment to her studies.

“I did my secondary school at St Mary’s in Beitbridge. I did 12 subjects at Form 4 and I passed them all . I then proceeded to do my advanced level at the same school. I was doing Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and obtained 12 points.

“Growing up, life was not easy. I was always among those who would be sent home over non-payment of fees. I never got everything that I wanted. It was through determination and understanding my background that pushed me to work hard,” she told NewZimbabwe in an interview on the sidelines of Kuvimba Mining House (KMH)’s donation to the Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa University of Zambia Scholarship Program (ED -UNZA).

Nelia said life became even more difficult for her family during Covid-19 pandemic and they were forced to relocate to their rural home.

She would stay alone in Beitbridge during school days and stay in her rural home during holidays.

This only intensified her determination to change her destiny.

When she finished school she was forced to stay at her rural home.

She was confident she had passed with flying colours but did not manage to collect her results because she owed the school a lot of money in unpaid school fees.

Her dream was almost crushed. She lost hope and thought furthering her studies at a tertiary institution was impossible.

Despite this she never lost sight of her dreams of attending university and making a difference in her community.

She then applied for their scholarship program.

Months after applying, in a heart-warming turn of events, she has secured ED -UNZA scholarship to pursue her dreams.

ED UNZA will be working in collaboration with Kuvimba Mining House (KMH) which will be providing financial assistance as she pursues her Mining and Geological engineering Honours degree at the University of Zimbabwe.

Nelia shares almost a similar story with other four students picked for the same scholarship program.

KMH has also breathed life into the dreams of her colleagues who include Chilongezyo Muleya from Binga, Panashe Nyakura Kadoma, Charity Muleya from Beitbridge and Inomusa Sibanda from Filabusi.

They will all be pursuing the same degree.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Chilongezyo said they feel honoured and will not disappoint.

“As a group, through discussions, we found out that we are of similar social background. Without saying much detail with that kind of background it was very much impossible for us to come this far. However, ED -UNZA Scholarship in collaboration with Kuvimba Mining House has made the impossible possible for us, “ he said.

“We promise to make the best out of this opportunity and we will not let you down as we are going to do our part with all our strength,” he added.

The students were gifted with laptops, backpacks and US$500 pocket money.

KMH joined the ED -UNZA Scholarship Trust in 2021 as part of its commitment towards corporate social Responsibility.

The trust targets the most vulnerable and desperate and brightest young people in Zimbabwe.

Simba Chinyemba, KMH CEO said besides taking the five through their studies, the group will ensure they five get industrial attachment and possibly employment if they do well.

“For us, investing in young people is part of our inspiration to build an organisation that will last beyond this generation. As long as there is a future, Kuvimba will invest in young people,”he said.

To date, the trust has awarded 44 scholarships and the intake started in January 2021.

They work with community leaders and churches to identify talented less privileged children.

The ED-UNZA Scholarship Trust is targeting to award over 100 scholarships in the next five years to underprivileged students to study at various local universities and at the University of Zambia.

ED UNZA scholarship chairman Herbert Nkala wished the students well saying they should study hard.

“May you be disciplined and diligent students keeping your grades high, protect the name of our patron and integrity of the trust,” he said.

This remarkable achievement illustrates the power of determination and potential for greatness in the face of adversity.

-NewZim