At Uncommon, we believe talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Every day in our Innovation Hubs across Zimbabwe, we witness remarkable transformations as young adults discover their potential through technology. This story from one of our bootcamp students exemplifies why we do what we do, not just to teach coding, but to unlock confidence, creativity, and career possibilities for young Zimbabweans.
When our students win hackathons just months after writing their first line of code, it reminds us that determination can overcome any obstacle with the right support. This is what your support makes possible.
"Six months ago, I didn't know what HTML stood for. Today, I'm holding a hackathon trophy.
When I joined the Uncommon bootcamp in Harare, coding felt like learning a foreign language. The journey from that first day to winning the Google Developers Group Harare's 'Build with AI' Workshop hasn't been easy, but it's been life-changing."
At Uncommon, we're taught that growth happens outside our comfort zones. So I teamed up with two fellow bootcamp students, Tapiwa Gombarume and Brenda Chinokoro, and we decided to sign up for the Hackathon and give it our best shot.
The clock started ticking. Two hours to go from idea to prototype. No time for doubt, no room for second-guessing.
Our challenge: build something useful with AI integration. Drawing from our community experiences, we immediately identified a critical need: Zimbabwe's hospitals struggle with inefficient paper-based systems and data management.
We sketched out a simple database solution that could transform how hospitals store and access patient information. No bells and whistles, just a focused solution to a real problem.
What surprised me most wasn't the technical challenge, but how quickly we found our groove as a team:
In those intense two hours, we weren't just coding, we were building something that could genuinely help our community.
When they announced us as winners, I couldn't believe it. Us? The team with members who were complete beginners just months ago?
Our mentor later explained what set us apart:
We kept it simple and focused, solving one problem exceptionally well
We built for a clear, urgent need, not just a cool technology demo
We used AI strategically, enhancing our solution, not defining it
We worked as a true team, leveraging each person's strengths
This victory means more than just a win. It validates something we're taught daily at Uncommon: technology skills create opportunities that once seemed impossible. Six months ago, I doubted I belonged in tech. Today, I'm part of the solution to real challenges in my community.
For anyone hesitating to join a bootcamp, learn to code, or enter a hackathon, readiness often follows the leap. You don't need to feel prepared to begin. You just need to start.
The digital revolution happening in Zimbabwe isn't just about technology, it's about people like me discovering what we're capable of when given the chance."
- Makomborero Chidziva (Uncommon Student, 2025 cohort)
This post is part of our "Student Journeys" series at Uncommon.org, where we highlight the growth and achievements of our bootcamp participants. Follow along to see how technology education is transforming lives across Zimbabwe.
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