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Tsitsi Ndabambi

The high school students who won the seventh annual DSTv Eutelsat Star Awards competition were this week presented with prizes for their outstanding achievements for their entries in the poster and essay sections of the competition at national stage.

It has become a custom that a Mutare students scoop the best poster category award which went to Takunda Nyambuya (18) of Mutare Boys High School and the runner up was Gabriella Makandidze of Matopo High School in Matebeleland.

For the essay category the 2017 winner Einstein Mubemi (15) of St Columba’s High School in Bulawayo and runner-up Kudzai Kafesu (18) of St Ignatius High College Chishawasha were honoured also.

The DSTv team paid these achievers a visit at their respective schools. Publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe Ms Liz Dziva presented a DSTv HD Zapper decoder, a certificate and a school fees voucher worth $400 to Kudzai Kafesu on Tuesday 24.

Kudzai Kafesu and Liz Dziva. — Pictures by Tsitsi Ndabambi

Addressing the students at the occasion she said, “St Ignatius has a long rich history and is respected and valued in the education field, it is fitting that one of its students has been listed among the top tier of entries for 2017,  we are hopeful that the recognition will stimulate these young students to take an interest in sciences.”

The A-Level student Kudzai Kafesu who is studying science subjects said he was shocked when he received the news because he had entered just for fun not expecting to win; “I would like to give credit to my physics teacher Mr Musingami and former English teacher Mr Shayawabaya for helping me with gathering information for the essay.”

The school’s staff representative Mr Lazarus Chitura commended DStv and Eutelsat for their social responsibility of particularly identifying and nurturing young talent.

Accompanying Liz Dziva was the 2015 international essay winner Joseph Mahiya who had the privilege of travelling to France where he witnessed the rocket launch with his father, now he is an engineering student in America, a door that was opened through his achievement.

The St Ignatius students were given tips and guidelines on how to produce a winning essay or poster by Dr Vimbai Mafirakureva the country judge who is also a teacher at Hellenic Academy.

Ms Dziva then announced that the 2018 competition is now open and the students can look forward to prizes which include trips to France and the Caribbean to witness a satellite launch and to South Africa to visit leading scientific institutions.

She announced that this year’s topic content is; “Currently satellites are being used in a variety of ways but there is always room for expansion and growth.” Therefore students are required to write an essay or design a poster on areas that they believe the full potential satellites have not yet been tapped into or embraced.

She is confident that this time around the grand prize will come back home to Zimbabwe