Tapiwa Mabhena is a determined 24-year-old from Harare, Zimbabwe, who has overcome incredible challenges to complete his B.Tech Honours Degree in Biotechnology at the Harare Institute of Technology in May 2025.

Despite passing every requirement and persevering through hardship, Tapiwa now faces a heartbreaking barrier: he cannot graduate unless he clears his outstanding tuition balance of $2,192 USD by 12 September 2025. Without this payment, years of dedication and sacrifice will go unrecognised.

Tapiwa’s journey has been far from easy. After losing his mother at just six years old and being raised by his grandparents in a financially strained home, he fought his way through school with exceptional results — earning 6 A’s, 3 B’s, and 1 C at O’Level and 11 points at A’Level. He walked 12 km daily to a rural school with no laboratories, studied through the COVID-19 pandemic, and worked part-time during university breaks to help fund his education.

Earlier this year, just after completing his degree, Tapiwa was involved in a car accident that left him with internal back injuries, limiting his ability to earn through physical work. His attempt to start a small printing business has been hindered by a lack of equipment and low demand.

Graduating isn’t just a personal goal for Tapiwa — it’s the foundation for his dream to specialise in Plant Pathology, where he hopes to contribute to agricultural research and global food security.

This is a time-sensitive and urgent appeal: every donation, no matter how small, will bring Tapiwa closer to walking across the stage and turning his hard-earned knowledge into real-world solutions.

Please help make this milestone possible. Your support could change not only Tapiwa’s life, but the future he’s determined to build for others.