By Byron Mutingwende
Awards continue to fall like confetti at a party for the Good Care Pre-school and its founder Mrs Gertrude Mandizvidza.
Just before Mrs Mandizvidza had taken a break from celebrating double awards in 2017, the same recognition and more to the schools she leads have already come for the work she has been doing in the first half of 2018.
In October 2017, Mrs Mandizvidza was the first runner-up in the Education and Training Category of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Women in Enterprise Conference and Awards.
“The ZNCC October 2017 award was my first national recognition for the effort I dedicate in providing quality education to Zimbabweans. While I have a passion for giving good education to the nation because I personally missed the opportunity for such at a tender age due to the patriarchal society I grew up in, the October 2017 ZNCC Award gave me the zeal and energy to continue working hard. Since then, I have been continuously receiving awards as an individuals and for the institutions I lead,” Mrs Mandizvidza said.
In that same year, the Megafest National Business Awards, on the recommendations of its Board and by virtue of the authority vested in them, conferred on Mrs Mandizvidza the Award as Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Second Runner-up.
“When the pre-school got such national recognition, it boosted our confidence as parents to send our children to the school because we are sure that the institution is churning out world-class standards in terms of education. The facilities are also modern, warm and inviting, thereby creating a conducive learning atmosphere,” said Mrs Patience Moyo whose children all passed through Good Care Pre-school.
True to her pledge to continue working hard, Mrs Mandizvidza’s efforts have not been in vain. On a colourful event held at the Monomotapa Legacy Hotel (formerly Crowne Plaza Hotel) in Harare on 23 July 2018, she was honoured by the Zimbabwe Business Awards through the Zimbabwe Business Awards (ZIBA) Council, Harare and Northern Region as the Business Woman of the Year – Academic Services.
The Zimbabwe Business Awards Council (ZIBA) are hosts of the prestigious Zimbabwe Business Awards in the Republic of Zimbabwe, Inspiration and Success by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans within the Zimbabwean business community that symbolise and celebrate Zimbabwean business people.
ZIBA did not end by recognising her individual efforts but went a step further to confer Good Care Pre-school with the award of Pre-school of the Year – Academic Studies (2018) for Harare and the Northern regions.
“Good Care Pre-school is the major source of our students at David Mascott Country School. We enjoy teaching the pupils from Good Care because they come to us after they would have mustered all the basics. We give honour to Mrs Mandizvidza for inculcating important life values in the pupils at a tender age and the award given to Good Care Pre-school did not come as a surprise to us since we know it is an institution of academic excellence,” said Mr Solomon Bonongwe, the Headmaster of David Mascott Country School.