Sundaymail Editor
THERE is a thin line that exists between carving a lucrative career and becoming an also-ran.
This thin line is what Caleb Zambu faced a few years ago. In 2019, Zambu, then aged 19, had just completed his Advanced Level studies and had no clue of what the future held for him. At school, he had always been a bright learner, who had passed his Ordinary Level examinations with impressive grades.
But coming from a struggling family, he had no choice but to put his academic studies on hold to earn a living by washing cars, as he desperately needed the income.
When he received his A Level results, he was elated as he had attained 18 points, having set more than the mandatory three subjects.
His results were as follows: Pure Mathematics — A, Accounting — A, Statistics — A and Economics — C. However, his delight soon turned to despair. Due to the situation at home, funds to proceed for tertiary education were hard to come by and he had no choice but to continue with his car wash job.
One day, while washing a car for one of his clients, his fortunes changed for the better.
His client was Mr Ngoni Alex Ribbons, the owner of Premier Business School (PBS), one of the leading institutions that provide Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) courses in Zimbabwe.
“Although I yearned for a better life, I had accepted my trade of washing cars. I had set my A Levels in November 2019 at Arcturus Secondary School in Goromonzi and had obtained 18 points but I still had to continue working as a car washer because my parents couldn’t afford tertiary education for me,” he said.
“I then met Mr Ngoni Alex Robbins while washing cars and he invited me to PBS for a scholarship programme. I was thrilled and started the course in August 2020.”
At PBS, Zambu turned out to be one of the best students. During a recent awards ceremony hosted by the institution, he received two awards of excellence in Advanced Financial Management and Advanced Audit and Assurance modules. The accolades were presented to him by Auditor-General Mrs Mildred Chiri, who is a PBS alumnus. “I was so proud to receive these awards. The icing on the cake was receiving the awards from Mrs Chiri, a top-notch auditor, who is an inspiration to all of us in the accounting profession.”
He is looking forward to a flourishing career as a chartered accountant once he completes his studies.
“I always look at myself and imagine that things could have been very different for me. I am grateful to Mr Robbins for helping me with the scholarship and I will always work hard in my studies so that I can pursue my dream of becoming a chartered accountant.”
Zambu, who was born on August 24, 2000 and is the second-born in a family of three, had some words of advice for young people.
“My case shows that, as youths, we should not give up, no matter the situation we face. If you are experiencing difficulties, your situation can change if you just have belief in God and leave Him to do the rest,” he said.
Mr Robbins said PBS is committed to assisting more students like Caleb.
“As part of its corporate social responsibility programme, our school has set up a fund to provide tuition fees for deserving students. To date, PBS has paid tuition fees for several students, some of whom have built stellar careers. However, we think that, if we partner with the corporate world, the impact will be much bigger, and we will produce more qualified chartered accountants.”
He said, on the understanding that there are many parents who struggle to raise money for tertiary education, PBS offers a unique course that enables students to jointly study for A Level, as well as obtain an ACCA qualification in just three years.
“Traditionally, it takes a student eight years to acquire a profession qualification because, after finishing O Level, you would need two years for Form 5 and 6, four years for a university degree and two more years to be a chartered accountant. Through our programme, you can acquire a professional qualification in three years.”
Online Reporter