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Blessings Chidakwa Herald Reporter

Upper Sixth students at Destiny Achievers College in Domboshava have embraced the “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/Ilizwe liyakiwa ngabanikazi balo” mantra by creating their own gas converter and peanut butter machines using low cost materials.

The peanut butter machine shells peanuts, roasts, grinds and packages them, which dovetails with Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 model that emphasises production of goods as opposed to just learning everything theoretically.

During the launch of the Teachers for Economic Development organisation on Wednesday, President Mnangagwa toured Destiny Achievers College’s stand and was impressed by the level of innovations exhibited. The learners’ team leader, Lashmold Matimura, said they used low-cost materials including scrap from Magaba in the Mbare area of Harare to create the gas  converter.

“We decided to solve local challenges with local products. We are manufacturing an excavator that uses hydraulics and a peanut butter machine. But we are sceptical of sharing the exact materials we are using for fear of copycats. We have created our own liquefied petroleum gas, which we are using for cooking,” Matimura.

The school head, Ms Cynthia Gambiza, said they were doing the projects in support of the Government’s thrust of converting theory into action.

“We want to create entrepreneurs at the school instead of employees,” she said.

“As for the gas, we are in talks with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority so that they can come and conduct tests. If they certify it, we can commercialise it. Our finished product will cost at least US$1 per kg.”

Experts who were part of the tour of the stand by the President said the innovations were exciting and indicative of “good teacher guidance to the pupils”.

Zimbabwe has entered a critical era of inventions boom, which should soon propel the country towards Israel, the start-up nation, before it moves towards the era of greatness as has been demonstrated by China.

“We need to harness this potential. Teachers’ confidence in this regard needs boosting. President Mnangagwa commended them (the Domboshava learners) and as a nation we need to commend them too,” said one expert.

For the country to continue on the inventions trajectory, there are calls to “do everything to restore the teachers’ place in society”.

Since the introduction of Education 5.0, many learning institutions, from primary to tertiary, have begun producing a number of products which were previously imported.

All State universities have various innovations they are making, with the Midlands State University making strides in food processing and textile manufacturing at its industrial park in Gweru.

President Mnangagwa laid a foundation stone to pave way for the building of the industrial park in 2020 and production is now in full swing with prospects for expansion.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, says determination and hard work had seen institutions being successful in their efforts to ensure economic development.

Schools and colleges stepped up the plate in 2020 after the outbreak of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe and started manufacturing personal protective clothing including face masks and sanitisers.