But it has not been smooth sailing. “I was educated at a rural school in Chirumanzu District where the whole class would share a single book,” Bayanayi (29) recalled in a recent interview with The Zimbabwean He is determined to ensure the new generation of youngsters does not encounter similar problems.
“The existence of the marginalised societies as well as the lack educational facilities and resources in rural communities is the major motivation for my projects to improve education. Despite all the challenges I faced at school, I managed to graduate to a law school. I feel I have an obligation to improve rural schools so that children who hail from marginalized communities can be part of the global world.”
He formed the Zimbabwe Youth Development Foundation Trust last year to source books from various international organisations. So far the trust has distributed more than 30,000 books to rural schools.
It also runs a rural scholarship, which is benefiting 25 disadvantaged children, and Bayanai is in the process of building the first community library in his home area.
“I have met a lot of challenges in the process. This is just a dream that I started with absolutely no financial support from anyone. Locally, it is difficult to get funders for these projects mainly because people do not understand the concept of social entrepreneurship. They always want to maximize on making profits and as such social responsibility without financial gain is deemed a waste of time and resources,” he said.
But his efforts have not gone unnoticed by the international community. Bayanai has been appointed an ambassador of One Young World, an international charity. He has been invited to such events as the World Youth Congress, World Youth Festival 2010, International Student Week Festival and Rhodes Youth Forum over the past two years.
This has seen him share the stage with His Royal Highness, the Prince of Norway, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, local Education, Sports and Culture Minister, David Coltart and prominent footballer, Clarence Seedorf, among other figures advocating for the right to education.
“I have been invited to share my success story and inspire other young change-makers at various international forums. Through my participation at these events, I have been instrumental in the creation of partnerships with various international organisations that have directly impacted 2,500 students,” he said.
Post published in: News