Trust driving female engineering students’ success

Fatima Bulla-Musakwa

THE Ward Engineering Science Trust (WEST) is transforming the lives of female students at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) by providing financial assistance, enabling them to excel in their studies.

Established in 2019 by former UZ senior lecturer Dr Peter Ward and his family, WEST provides funds for both tuition and accommodation for selected Zimbabwean engineering students with a first-year classification of at least 2.1 in their studies.

To date, 12 students, including five women, have benefitted.

The first batch of beneficiaries includes six graduates in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering, as well as languages and culture.

The remaining six are studying civil, energy and power, mechanical, and electrical and electronics engineering. Among the beneficiaries is Ms Marceline Paradzai, an electrical and electronics engineering student.

“I have become a trailblazer and inspiration to other women and girls aspiring to enter similar male-dominated domains,” she told The Sunday Mail.

“The scholarship has benefitted not only me personally, but also furthers the broader goal of gender equality and representation within my field.”

The trust was founded using an inheritance left by Dr Ward’s mother, Ms Monica Fiorini, who lived in Zimbabwe from 1957 until her death in 2011.

She was a strong advocate of education.

Her sons, Peter and Michael, developed a deep connection with the UZ during their student days and later returned as lecturers.

Dr Ward and his wife, Dr Rabab, both with PhDs in civil and electrical engineering, lectured in the Engineering Faculty in the 1970s.

Ms Letwin Sunduza, a civil engineering student, expressed gratitude for the scholarship.

“When I complete my degree, I wish to empower other ladies with the knowledge that there is no limit and you can achieve whatever you want without getting married first,” she said.

The Wards recently met the beneficiaries upon their return to Zimbabwe.

For Ms Praise Madambo, a mechanical engineering graduate now working at Zimplats, the scholarship prevented her from dropping out.

“I owe a lot to the Ward family because they came at a point where I needed tuition fees,” she said. I had wanted to defer my studies to allow my mum to take care of my little brother’s expenses.”

Because securing accommodation at the university is a major challenge for students, the memorandum of understanding between the trust and the UZ includes provisions for on-campus housing for the beneficiaries.

The provision of on-campus accommodation has been instrumental in the students’ success.

Ms Rutendo Nengwe, a mechanical engineering graduate, highlighted the convenience of living on campus.

Ms Nengwe is now working at Mimosa Mining Company.

The trust is managed by a six-member board of trustees — Dr Ward; Dr Rabab; their son Rafik; Mr Kenzias Chibota, a chartered accountant; Dr Michael Tumbare, a civil engineer; and Dr Cuthbert Chidoori, an expert in communication engineering.

Dr Tumbare noted the academic transformation of WEST beneficiaries.

“Their grades improved because they were concentrating and they had to prove a point that we trusted them with the scholarship,” he said.

Administrator Mr Chibota expressed satisfaction with
the trust’s impact and commended the Ward family for their
generosity.