Online Reporter
Phillipa Mukome-Chinhoi-Youth Interactive Writer
GROWING up in Mufakose without reliable electricity or internet, Tawanda’s early education was marked by self-study and the kindness of mentors.
In 2007, at Ruzivo Primary, his ECD teacher, Mrs Makanza, recognised his academic rigour and etiquette. Later, Mrs Rubaya generously welcomed him into her extra lessons when his family could not afford supplementary fees in 2008. By Grade 7, he was head boy, passing ZIMSEC finals with flying colours and turning corridor distractions and street disruptions into motivation.
“Faith has been the centre of everything I do,” said Tawanda. I am a 22-year-old, born in Mufakose. I am the last born in my family. After excelling in all 11 O-Level subjects at Mufakose 1 Secondary, I joined Mufakose 2 Secondary for A-Levels in Pure Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, again earning top marks.
“When national results were released, I had secured an internship at a digital hub and began mapping scholarship pathways. I learnt that there’s no perfect moment, opportunities come when you make them,” said Tawanda.
He credited his mentor Peter Goshomi for early guidance on funded study abroad programmes despite the lack of supplementary funding.
Tawanda’s passion for technology ignited in 2015 at Mufakose 1 Secondary, where he wrote his first “Hello, World!” HTML programme. “Computers felt magical,” he recalls.
Commuting daily amid load shedding and community challenges such as drug and substance abuse, he taught himself web development, machine learning and UI/UX design through online resources during a volunteer internship with Uncommon.org. There, he also contributed to coding workshops for local primary pupils, blending community uplift with skill sharing.
With university application fees covered by a timely family gift, he applied to three institutions on the final day. Accepted by the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Harare Institute of Technology and Midlands State University, he chose UZ in October 2021 to pursue his BSc (Hons) in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
“My ultimate goal is to harness AI for social good,” he said.
Tawanda’s hackathon resume includes first prize at the Ministry of ICT, Postal & Courier Services Hackathon, where his team built a smart mobile money platform, and third place at FinSmart Innovation with his startup, TakAInsure, which leverages AI, blockchain, and mobile money to solve microinsurance gaps.
“In late 2023, I ventured into diplomacy. I flew to Johannesburg for the Yale Model African Union (YMAU), representing the Republic of Congo in Economic Development, Trade & Industry”.
“My policy proposals for intra-African commerce won me the Honourable Delegate award. Soon after, I joined YMAU in Nairobi as Egypt’s delegate on Education, Technology & Innovation, earning Outstanding Delegate for frameworks linking digital learning hubs to renewable energy access.”
These experiences refined his diplomatic persona, leading to his appointment as Dean of Diplomats at Southern African Young Diplomats (SAYD), where he now leads emerging envoys and organises high-level consulate visits across the region.
He’s also a Zimbabwean country ambassador for Diplomatic Envoy Model United Nations (DEMUN).
Beyond diplomacy, Tawanda was a Class of 2024 Millennium Fellow with the Millennium Campus Network and UN Academic Impact.
His project, Artificial Intelligence for All (AI4A), mobilised student leaders to advance UN SDGs through AI governance and community-driven solutions.
Tawanda has been involved in several other global initiatives pertaining to leadership, diplomacy, speaking, innovation, and social impact.
Balancing campus commutes with work, Tawanda joined Baker Tilly Central Africa in August 2023 as an intern and is now a Junior Data Analyst & AI DevOps Developer.
He delivers actionable insights, mentors juniors, and ensures data integrity to drive digital transformation.
“Tawanda is an ideal Gen Z that every employer should be curious about,” says Dr Arthur Gwagwa of Utrecht University, lauding his blend of technical prowess and persuasive communication.
When not coding or debating, Tawanda writes poetry under the pen name Syntax, debuting at an Open Mic earlier this year. His verses explore love, purpose, and life’s intricacies, offering him a creative outlet for the “disruptive thinker and romantic” within.
Looking ahead, Tawanda plans to immerse himself in the intricate details of what he believes in — diplomacy and technology — championing a narrative where African creativity, innovation, and diplomacy lead global conversations. Now, for tomorrow.
He encouraged the young people never to give up in life, interaction in communities and searching for opportunities online can also assist in finding ways to get through.
“Scarcity is not an end, but a genesis. Even in the beginning, the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Every power cut hides a lesson in patience, and to lead is not to outrun our scars”.
