paNhari, University of Zimbabwe

paNhari was established in 2005 as a student-led project under the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) global program, now ENACTUS; a network of global business, academic and student leaders whose mission is to engage the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to use innovation and business principles to improve the world. paNhari grew and was formally registered in 2013 as a standalone initiative that empowers youth, including university students, to become civically engaged primarily through social entrepreneurship.

“We are very excited to be awarded the Second Place for the 2020 MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship! This will further our work in civic engagement  and social innovation. We would like to express our profound gratitude to the Talloires Network and the MacJanet Foundation for such an initiative towards positive youth development!” – Donald Bodzo, Co-Founder, paNhhari

paNhari Program Graduation

At the University  of  Zimbabwe, the paNhari program is housed in the Life Skills Center under the Students Affairs Department, an administrative department strategically positioned to complement academic departments in the fulfillment of the University of Zimbabwe’s mission: developing students’ full potential. The Division ’s mandate is to design, implement, and review programs that nurture their physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual and psychological dimensions. paNhari undertakes extensive civic engagement activities in the community in keeping with the university’s civic mission “to make meaningful contributions to sustainable development in Zimbabwe…by maintaining excellence in teaching, learning, research and service to the community.”

paNhari helps students to discover their potential for leadership and to develop successful futures for their communities by adopting a possibility-oriented approach to life. Despite the political and economic insecurity in the country making it sometimes difficult for young people to participate in civic projects, UZ maintains a strong community focus and commitment to student experiential learning with opportunities in social entrepreneurship and community engagement.