Editorial Comment: Our students make us very proud

ZIMBABWE is a fertile nursery for some of the most intelligent students in the world.

With each passing year, our students continue to break new records – both locally and internationally.

So intelligent are our students they have scooped prestigious awards at international competitions.

Despite some of the challenges they face, they have never been distracted from fulfilling their dreams when it comes to academics.

The only problem we have is that some of the most intelligent students, sometimes, lack the financial support and motivation to go beyond their targets.

There are also some who have had their dreams shattered due to lack of sponsorship.

Others, who hail from poor backgrounds, have found themselves battling the tide just for them to scale the heights they set for themselves.

But, there are those who have the strong backing of their supportive parents.

Most of the parents go out of their way to ensure that their kids find a way to fulfil their dreams.

Other parents take loans to ensure they meet the costs of their children’s education.

Their initiatives have helped to put Zimbabwe on the global map.

In July this year, 11 high school students made us proud after being crowned High School Moot Court World and European champions.

They were further honoured by President Mnangagwa with cash bonuses for their exploits.

In August this year, Cyril Junior Dim outclassed contestants from 114 countries to win the Toastmasters World Cup Championship of Public Speaking.

Last weekend, another set of brilliant students, including four from Tynwald High School, won gold at the international Robotics competition held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The President has since congratulated the winners for their exploits.

The Zimbabwe Robotics winners, who landed home on Tuesday, dedicated their triumph to the six Tynwald High School pupils, who perished in the Nyanga bus disaster.

The winners were also given a warm welcome at Robert Mugabe International Airport where they gave some interviews to the local media as they basked in their finest hour.

Parents and guardians of the students could not hide their joy as they welcomed their kids back home.

Tynwald High School Headmaster, Kenias Matimba, saluted the students whose victory came as a consolation to the six students, who died in the Nyanga bus disaster.

With the nation still celebrating the Zimbabwe Robotics Team for its victory, there is also a need to empower the students to ensure they fulfil their dreams. After the Geneva success, the six students deserve our love and empowerment to ensure their inventions help the nation.

Their success story should also inspire other kids back home to do the same. There are plenty of students, who are intelligent, who also deserve such opportunities.

And, their dreams will only be fulfilled when they learn from others, especially the Zimbabwe Robotics Team and the Zimbabwe Moot Court Team, which conquered the world.

By empowering these teenage geniuses, we are building a new generation of intelligent lads who are determined to put Zimbabwe on the world map.