Story by Raynald Ngwarati
THE Dzidzo Inhaka Computer Science e-Sports Schools Tournament finals held in Harare this Saturday saw children as young as three showcasing computer skills in a bold step in grassroots digital education.
In a world driven by digital innovation, Zimbabwe’s tech future is no longer on the horizon, but already in the hands of children.
Bringing together 18 schools and over 180 young players, the tournament, which fuses education with eSports, is a bold step in grassroots tech empowerment.
While in the eyes of an ordinary person, it looks like playing, that is not the case, as these kids are programming the future.
“This helps me in my day-to-day activities, because when I am typing on the computer, I am also learning in the process,” participant Naomi Pasipamire said.
“We cannot work without technology, and I really love playing with computers,” another participant, Ro_anne Pande noted.
Technology empowers learning, enhances work efficiency, and enables global connection, making it an essential tool for progress in every community.
“This technology will help me increase my knowledge firstly, then when it comes to the question, when I am asked to perform a task on the digital device, it will be very easy for me to do it,” said a participant, Edmund Chaoma.
“I would like to be a scientist, and it will be key to learn these new technologies, and these could help the world in the most dangerous scenarios,” another participant, Kudiwanashe Chitate, added.
This is not just child’s play; it is a digital revolution in motion and aligns with Zimbabwe’s heritage-based curriculum and the national target to create a digital economy.
“This is not just about digital skills but about integration with other learning areas like Mathematics. As you know, we have adopted a heritage-based curriculum, and this is a testament to it. We are inculcating values from these youngsters to help Zimbabwe rise up to be a giant in the future. If you note, the majority started learning computers after Form 6, and we have 3-year-olds, meaning Zimbabwe’s innovative future has been boosted, and Education 5.0 will reap rewards,” Dzidzo Inhaka Computer Science e-Sports Schools Tournament Director, Shepherd Chimururi said
Through projects like this, supported by the National ICT Policy, Zimbabwe is closing the digital divide, bringing technology to townships and villages.
