Students in computer lab at the academy. By Primrose Nyamugara

In the midst of the high density suburb of Mufakose in Harare, Zimbabwe, lies the first Mormon educational  institution in Zimbabwe, named after the famous verse by the prophet  Jacob of the Book of Mormon ”OBWIZE  ACADEMY”(O BE WISE, WHAT CAN I SAY MORE). The school is registered with the Ministry of Education , Sport and Culture. The idea of setting up a school started as a dream of a  young bishop, Langton Nyamugara a couple of years ago, after having  carried out a survey of the number of youth and young single adults in his ward (Mufakose) who  had O-Levels and those who managed to proceed to obtain higher education and even A-Levels. The outcome of the survey was a cause for concern. The people who had the required education were less than 10%. With the help of his friends from abroad, Obwize was established and opened its doors to members of the public on the 10^th of May 2010.

 Obwize Academy started at the backyard of Bishop Langton Nyamugara parent’s home last year in August. It had seven teachers who specialize in seven different subjects and an enrollment of about twenty students, mainly members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They learnt free of charge. The bishop used his own money to pay the monthly teachers’ salaries and for the stationery of the children. The main goal of Obwize since the beginning has been to provide a quality education to members of the community and especially the youth of theChurch at an affordable price. This is made real by the fact that the teachers  are well known for their vast experience in the teaching field and their expertise as well.

 With all the strikes by the teachers in Zimbabwe, Obwize has proved to be a dream for many members of the Mufakose community. With the dedicated staff members, students are guaranteed of having lessons everyday with no disruptions. This will help them to attain good grades when they write their final examinations. The school has since grown to eight classes accommodating about a hundred and twenty students although the current enrollment stands at forty. It offers classes from form one up to Advanced level, sporting, and even clubs.

 The number of teachers has grown to about eleven. Classes begin at nine o’clock with early morning seminary for an hour three times a week. The curriculum has broadened to offer at least ten subjects per student compared to the previous seven. A computer laboratory has been set up with state of the art computers and its use is compulsory for each student so they can all become computer literate. This is a great achievement considering the fact that many schools in the Mufakose community and even around the country cannot afford to buy computers thus they do not offer the classes. This is hindering the development of most students nationwide as the world has become computerized and thus needs computer literate students.

 The vision of Obwize Academy is to grow to the level where they can build their own school and accommodate even more children. Mormon standards are adhered to by all students regardless of religious denomination within the school. The seminary class is also compulsory and the students have the opportunity to watch the BYU television channel which has been put up at the school as well. A library is in the process of being set up and by the end of the year we hope to have installed internet and help both the staff and the students stay abreast with the global world.

The school had the privilege to be visited by Sister Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society President, accompanied by Elder F. Michael Watson of the Seventy and first Counselor in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, and Sister Jolene Watson this May. We hope to have more students enrolled and perhaps in the next ten years to have our own university.

Bishop Langton Nyamugara, Primrose Nyamugara, and son.

Obewize Academy