Hillside produces youngest inventor to win national STEM award

THE crowd roars with approval as Mr Cuthbert Zulu (25) is called to the stage to receive awards of recognition for his STEM achievements as well as his Diploma in Teaching at Hillside Teachers’ College in Bulawayo on Thursday last week.

It is yet another step to success for the young leader and inventor who has gone through various hurdles to get to where he is, including losing both his parents and moving from one guardian to the other.

At 25, the Gweru resident is the youngest inventor who has won a national STEM Award, which describes itself as a programme that champions science and technology innovations in the country.

The programme also once funded scholarships for outstanding Science A-level pupils in the country.

“I am grateful for the challenges I have faced growing up as it gave me focus and now through STEM my inventions have been recognised on a national scale and hopefully soon this will take me on to an international level,” he said.

“It is surprising that a student from a teachers’ college managed to come first, in spite of stiff competition from major tertiary universities like University of Zimbabwe. My principal really urged me on and believed in me.”

In his first year Mr Zulu came up with an automated irrigation system and also an automated toilet system. The automated toilet system had doors that could sense when one wants to enter, also the toilet handle and seat had a sensor, when going out the doors would not open if one did not wash their hands.

These inventions are the ones that Mr Zulu presented at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and at the RIO-SET Expo which won him an award. Mr Zulu who is now officially a certified teacher, has also opened a STEM club at the school which he is teaching at in Lower Gweru and the club even won a STEM award in Midlands Province.