Story developed by University Communications.

T eachers in Zimbabwe’s Whitestone School recognized Michael Mbulelo Ncube’s passion to help others at an early age. He won the school’s Citizenship Award three times for his great humility and resolve to help others. This compassion for others still drives him today. 

In 2020, he started the Girl Global Child Foundation. These scholarships pay school fees so seventh-grade female students can continue their education in high school.

“I love what I do with the foundation,” Ncube said. “My constant need to assist society and have a larger purpose than my own goals has carried me through the years.”

When African students reach the seventh grade, their parents have to pay fees in order for them to advance to high school. If parents can't afford the school fees, students leave primary school without a certificate to verify they completed it, and their education is over.

“Many times, in the African community, parents will sacrifice for the boy to go to school, and then neglect the girl,” Ncube said. “This creates many social ills later on in life and a lot of possessiveness by males toward females, because females don't have a leg to stand on.” 

Seeing these different outcomes made him aware of the challenges women face. These disparities inspire him every day to gather as many donations as possible to give women a better chance at success.

“When I started this scholarship, I hoped to make our society aware that education of young women is very important and shouldn’t be sidelined,” Ncube said.

In less than three years, the Girl Global Child Foundation has awarded more than 100 scholarships to help girls attend high school. The people of Zimbabwe see the good he’s doing for young female students and contribute.

Ncube writes a letter to each scholarship recipient, encouraging them to continue to work hard to pursue their education and career goals.

“If you look at the demographics of many African countries, you’ll find 60% women to 40% men,” he said. “Imagine if 60% make a meaningful contribution to our economy. It can change a lot of things for us and puts everyone in a better position.”

The semester Ncube spent at Georgia College & State University in 2019, inspired him to develop his foundation. 

“This experience showed me how humble Georgia College professors are and the humility they exert toward students,” Ncube said. “They taught me that learning is a process that never ends.”

“Georgia College also showed me how efficient America’s education system is,” he said. “I was exposed to research, résumé writing and the Writing Center—these different entities showed me what's possible for us, as young Africans, if we invest our minds into developing certain areas.” 

The attention Ncube spent on personal development at Georgia College sparked the idea to start his foundation when he returned to Zimbabwe. 

“Opportunities are scarce here; oftentimes hard work is not rewarded,” he said. “When a young girl is empowered to say, ‘I did this on my own’—that’s what we try to instill.”

Ncube wants young girls who are doing well in their studies, to ask themselves, “what more can I achieve?”

When he started his foundation, Ncube underestimated the gratification he’d get, because he felt like “it was just the right thing to do.” Then, he ran across a girl he recognized.

“She told me that I gave her a scholarship, and she’s still in high school now,” Ncube said. “I told her, ‘Wow, that's incredible.’ It really hit home when somebody I’ve helped tells me such good news. There's a certain fulfillment I can't describe. But it's a big feeling and inspires me to try even harder.”

“My passions largely lie in humanitarian work and community development,” he said. And, I’d like to continue to grow my efforts in these areas.”