France-based PhD student builds dreams back home
ALTHOUGH Abel Mavura is pursuing a PhD in France, his heart remains in his rural home in Mutoko, Mashonaland East province, where he is actively involved in various initiatives to develop the area.
The 36-year-old academic, entrepreneur, social justice advocate, author and trained journalist appears to have a lot on his plate, but this has not stopped him from ploughing back into his rural home.
He is currently constructing a state-of-theart shopping mall in partnership with his business associate — 37-year-old Guidance Makani.
The swanky mall is lightening up the mood in Mutoko and contributing to the drive to modernise the area.
“I am studying for a PhD at the Paris 8 University in France,” Mavura told The Sunday Mail. Despite seeking academic excellence abroad, I remain deeply invested in the future of my nation, particularly my rural hometown of Mutoko.
“This is why I regularly come back home. I have a passion to develop Mutoko and will use experiences I have gained locally and internationally to help uplift the people in my hometown.”
Construction of the two-storey mall, which is located at Mutoko Centre, started in December last year and is expected to be ready for occupation at the end of this month.
The duo also plans to build another mall soon after completion of the current one.
“I owe a lot to my brother Guidance Makani. He has the same passion that I have to see development in rural areas. This is why it was easy for us to join forces and work together to see this project come to fruition. As you can see, the mall is now almost complete . . . despite having started construction just about three months ago,” said Mavura.
“As youths, Makani and I want to make use of our vibrant energy and innovative spirit to weave a new tapestry of development for our beloved hometown.
“We want to show our peers that as young people, the sky is the limit. You can achieve your goals if you remain focused.”
As part of his social justice advocacy, he plans to ensure that the mall offers employment opportunities to youths and vulnerable members of society.
“We will make sure that young people, women and vulnerable members of society will have some form of quota to benefit from the mall. I feel that this section of society needs support.
“We also want to do this to ensure youths stay away from drugs and substance abuse.”
Mavura established the Marvel Act Youth Organisation (MAYO) in 2003.
Over the years, the youth-led indigenous community-based organisation has been involved in various initiatives to accelerate the empowerment of young people in Mutoko and beyond.
“I am a firm believer in bridging the gap between rural and urban education, and part of the work being done is to empower young people through our youth hubs, where we give them support and advice to pursue their education and desist from drug and substance abuse.
“We also carry out programmes to support the girl child and campaign against child marriages and teenage pregnancies. MAYO has worked in collaboration with various local and international organisations,” he added.
As an author, Mavura has published a number of books, including “The Art of Realising Your Dream (2017)”, “Taku’s Awakening (2018)” and “Never a Last Episode (2022)”.
He has also won accolades like the Zimbabwe Civil Leaders Award (2021); the Shamwari YeMwanasikana/Canadian Embassy — Men as Role Models Award (2022); the Gumiguru Entrepreneurship and Civic Leadership Awards (2023) and Outstanding Social Justice Champion at the Zim Community Trailblazers Awards (2024).