It all started with a dream of a better Africa. A dream of an Africa in the hands of a generation of committed leaders who demonstrate Servant leadership, Tenacity, Accountability and Responsibility. This strong belief in the power of young people to transform their communities took us all over the world looking for new ways to engage and empower dynamic young Zimbabweans to be the leaders that drive our nation and continent to greater heights. We saw more had to be done to build these African leaders. So we set out looking for new leadership development models to raise our continent’s leaders and it was in Israel that our model emerged, and the S.T.A.R Leadership Academy was born.
The S.T.A.R Leadership Academy is a leadership institute driven by Higherlife Foundation’s dedication to raising young leaders who can change communities and impact lives. It is a full year intensive leadership programme that immerses young people in a world-class leadership curriculum, whilst ensuring a balanced physical and spiritual health.
The journey that got us here was not easy. We held intensive selection processes to get the best of Zimbabwe’s young minds and constructed two new academies – one focused on leadership and another focused on agriculture — in record time. With only a few days to go to the start of the academic year for both academies, we are happy to announce that orientation is underway with the first group of amazing students as they prepare for the school year ahead.
“We are incredibly excited about the launch of the S.T.A.R Leadership Academy which was the culmination of a vision ushered in by our Founders Mrs Tsitsi Masiyiwa and Ms Tanya Masiyiwa. We are all privileged to be a part of building Africa’s future through empowering and equipping tomorrow’s leaders today. The onus is on us to start shaping the Zimbabwe and Africa we need’; said Mrs Chiedza Juru- General Manager at S.T.A.R Leadership Academy.
Higherlife Foundation has been raising leaders for the past 20 years through scholarships, education support and partnerships, and working with the S.T.A.R Leadership academy on setting up these new academies is the next step in creating a new breed of African leaders. With a plan to build more academies across Zimbabwe over the next five years we are happy to say that this vision is already coming to life. Every piece is coming together for both academies and we could not be more excited!
Stay tuned with us on this journey as we press on in our mission to identify, nurture and build the next generation of Zimbabwe’s leaders.
