When Mrs. Josiah walked into her Grade 7 classroom at Warren Park 2 Primary School during a youth coding session, she was amazed by how technology is changing the learning environment. To her, computers were important, sure, but they belonged in offices, not woven into the fabric of everyday learning.

"I never imagined that a simple ICT training would change everything about how I teach," Mrs. Josiah reflects.

What she witnessed that day was a transformation in how learning could happen. And it's exactly why training teachers holds the key to making Zimbabwe the tech capital of Africa.

In 2024, Uncommon directly reached over 10,000 students through our Innovation Hubs across Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls. That's incredible, but it's not enough.

To truly transform Zimbabwe's educational landscape, we need to think bigger, smarter, and more sustainably.

Enter teacher training, a key element in our growth strategy.

• One trained teacher can impact 50+ students annually.
• Train 100 teachers, and you've potentially reached 5,000 children.
• Train 1,000 teachers, and suddenly 50,000 young Zimbabweans have access to digital skills that will shape their futures.

That's not just growth, that's exponential impact.

Our teacher training program goes far beyond showing educators how to use computers. Teachers not only receive comprehensive training on the fundamentals of coding, learn to use the Uncommon Playground, our coding platform that helps students learn the fundamentals of coding using games, but also how to use technology to improve everything they do.

The program is designed specifically for the Zimbabwean context. Materials are available in English, Shona, and Ndebele, ensuring no educator is left behind. We're growing homegrown expertise that understands local challenges and opportunities.

Most importantly, we're building sustainable change. Instead of depending on trainers forever, we're empowering local educators to become technology champions in their communities.

From Student to Teacher: The Full Circle

Leading this transformation on the ground is Anesu, one of our Uncommon graduates who has come full circle from student to educator. Her journey embodies everything we believe about sustainable impact. When you empower young people with skills, they don't just change their own lives; they become catalysts for changing others.

Anesu understands the challenges Zimbabwean students face because she's lived them. She knows what it's like to use a computer for the first time, to feel intimidated by technology, and to discover the incredible power that comes with digital literacy. This authenticity resonates with both teachers and students in ways that no external trainer ever could.

"Watching Anesu teach opened my eyes to new possibilities," Mrs. Josiah explains. "The way she delivers lessons and makes learners apply it practically has enriched my teaching methods."

When teachers see someone who looks like them, who understands their context, successfully integrating technology into education, it becomes real and achievable.

The impact goes far beyond the computer classroom. Mrs. Josiah reports that her students are now "applying these skills in various subjects and projects" and that "these skills have not only enhanced their academic performance but also boosted their confidence in using technology."

This is the ripple effect we're creating across Zimbabwe. At Warren Park alone, we've engaged 80 passionate educators who now recognize that technological skills aren't luxury additions to education but necessities. These teachers are becoming technology advocates in their own district, spreading digital literacy far beyond our direct reach.

Mr. Muyambo, the Warren Park-Marbelreign Schools Inspector, sees the bigger picture: "This isn't just about computers in a lab. Uncommon is helping teachers bring technology into the heart of the classroom, where it belongs. If we scale this, we won't just catch up, we'll lead."

His enthusiasm is infectious, but his challenge is even more motivating: "This program must reach every cluster. And Uncommon, hire more trainers; you'll need them!"

Building Zimbabwe's Digital Future, One Teacher at a Time

Our vision extends far beyond the pilot; hence, we are currently in discussions with the Government to extend the program beyond our current teacher training pilot program that will equip 100 teachers with the skills and resources needed to bring computer coding into their classrooms. Every teacher we train becomes a multiplier. Every school we partner with becomes a hub of digital transformation. Every cluster we reach brings us closer to our audacious goal: making Zimbabwe the most tech-literate country in Africa.

The pathway is clear. From our current reach of 10,000+ students, teacher training offers a direct route to impacting 50,000+ young Zimbabweans annually. That's transformation at a national scale.

Mrs. Josiah's changed perspective, Anesu's inspiring leadership, and Mr. Muyambo's vision for systemic change all point to the same truth: when you empower teachers, you empower entire communities. When you transform how educators think about technology, you transform how an entire generation will engage with the digital world.

This is how we build Zimbabwe's tech future, one teacher, one classroom, one inspired student at a time. The multiplication has already begun.