On November 3rd, the Bulawayo Nedbank Innovation Hub welcomed a new cohort of students to begin their 12-month technology boot camp. Some arrived with computer experience. Others, like Fadzai, were starting from zero.
Fadzai had just finished her O Levels. Throughout her entire schooling, she'd never used a computer. Not once. Many government schools in Zimbabwe still don't have them, so technology was something she knew existed but had never touched.
Still, she showed up. She wanted to be part of the digital economy. She wanted opportunities that felt out of reach before.
When Fadzai opened her laptop for the first time, she didn't know where to start. The keyboard looked random, letters scattered everywhere with no pattern she recognized. She laughed nervously and admitted she felt overwhelmed.
"I was confused," she said. "I didn't even know which key to press first."
But when the screen lit up, something changed. She saw it differently. Not as something intimidating, but as something she could learn. A tool that could open doors.
She knew it wouldn't be easy. She knew she'd need patience and practice. But she also knew it was worth it.
Welcome to the Uncommon 2026 Tech Bootcamp
Over the next 12 months, Fadzai will:
Right now, she's learning to type. She's learning to navigate a computer. She's building confidence one day at a time.
Why This Matters
Fadzai's story isn't unique. Thousands of young Zimbabweans have potential but lack access. Girls, especially, are left behind when technology stays out of reach.
That's why the Nedbank Innovation Hub exists. It's a place where young people can learn without judgment, practice without pressure, and build skills that lead to real careers.
Fadzai didn't join this program to prove anything to anyone. She joined because she wants a future she can build herself. One with stability, purpose, and possibility.
What makes Fadzai stand out isn't her typing speed or her technical knowledge right now. It's her attitude. She shows up even when she feels unprepared. She asks questions even when she's not sure. She keeps trying even when it's hard.
That's the kind of determination that changes lives.
She dreams of becoming the kind of person who moves with intention. Someone who understands how the world works and knows how to navigate it. Someone who doesn't settle for the circumstances she inherited.
And over the next year, she'll get there.
By the time she graduates, Fadzai won't just know how to use a laptop. She'll have career-ready skills in a field she chose. She'll have a mentor who believes in her. She'll have a network of peers who started exactly where she did.
She'll have a future she built with her own hands.
The Bulawayo Nedbank Innovation Hub is one of eight locations across Zimbabwe where we run our free, full-time technology bootcamps. Every student who completes the program goes on to employment or entrepreneurship.
Uncommon didn't just teach us technical skills, it transformed the way we think.
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