"I COULD not believe it when my name was called out,” said Kidz Are Kidz Group of Schools founder Lorenta Wanyanya.
“It was a defining moment to receive the accolade,”
Wanyanya recently received the Best Entrepreneur in the Education and Sector accolade during the Global Achievers Network awards ceremony held at the Harare International Conference Centre.
She founded the school from humble beginnings using meagre personal savings.
To date, Kids Are Kids Group of Schools have become one of the most sought after private primary schools in both Harare and rural Dema.
“I am humbled by the recognition, especially in a new sector to me,” Wanyanya told NewsDay Weekender.
“As a woman, I feel empowered and I am happy that women are now recognised for their hard work. We are not working in vain.”
Wanyanya is behind the two elite junior schools, one in Harare’s Southlea Park suburb and another in Seke district.
Both schools boast modern learning infrastructure and sporting facilities.
The state-of-the art learning centres, which villagers in Seke and residents in Southlea Park say have added value to their community, have turned out to be educational institutes of choice, thanks to the adoption of emerging trends in education technology.
“It was not easy to build these schools, it drained me financially and psychologically,” Wanyanya said.
“We are not yet there, it is a journey, we need more infrastructure.
“I am confident that with the support of the communities and guardians, we will establish more centres.”
The Dema-Seke learning centre strands out among other infrastructures in the area.
Both junior schools boast an average enrolment of 250 each.
“Being recognised for my role in the education sector is amazing. I encourage fellow educators to follow their dreams and persevere until they reach the top,” Wanyanya said.
“My dream is to have our learning centres being recorded as the best in the country. I urge women out there to keep on pushing and realise their dreams.”
Wanyanya, however, pleaded with government and local authorities to avail more land for schools.
