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By Ross Moyo
Gwinyai Primary School in Mbare, Harare took a leap into digital learning Tuesday after receiving laptops and a Starlink kit from Government and private partners in a handover aimed at closing Zimbabwe’s rural-urban tech gap.
The event brought together Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services Hon. T.A. Mavetera, Education Minister Hon. Prof Torerai Moyo, and Harare Metropolitan Minister Hon. C.Z. Tawengwa, with Kudzai Denga Trading donating laptops through alumna Mrs M. Chuma.
“When we empower our schools, we are not only providing equipment. We are investing in the minds that will design our industries, build our technologies and drive our economy tomorrow,” Mavetera said.
The Ministry of ICT added 10 more laptops and a Starlink low-Earth-orbit terminal, giving the school high-throughput satellite connectivity independent of terrestrial network congestion. That means cloud labs, coding sandboxes and research databases now sit on the learners’ desks.
Mavetera tied the donation to President Mnangagwa’s _nyika inovakwa nevene vayo_ philosophy, calling it “patriotism in action” and proof that private capital can accelerate public digital infrastructure.
From a tech architecture view, the deployment blends end-user devices with satellite backhaul and local power management — a model the Ministry wants replicated to scale e-learning where fiber is uneconomical.
“The child sitting in this classroom today must not only be a consumer of technology. They must become a creator, an innovator and a problem solver,” she said, linking device access to computational thinking and early exposure to AI, robotics and data.
Government, she explained, is working with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to sequence coding and AI modules into primary curricula, moving from ICT literacy to problem-solving with tech.
On safety, Mavetera announced Cabinet’s approval of the Zimbabwe National Child Online Protection Policy 2026–2030, creating a coordinated framework to guard learners against cyberbullying, grooming, sextortion and privacy breaches while keeping access open.
She also commended Mbare Renewal Projects for grassroots digital literacy training, noting: “Technology must not only reach institutions; it must reach people,” so parents and communities can navigate e-government and digital finance too.
The recently turned 40 youthful Minister challenged alumni and corporates: “Every school has learners who need an opportunity. When we work together, we not only change schools. We change lives. We build Zimbabwe.”
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