“A few weeks away from being broke, unemployed… and no plan.” It’s been 3 months since I last posted on LinkedIn… and the drama 😭 . I graduated from Uncommon.org with a Digital Marketing certificate, then completed a 3-month internship just a month after graduation. Then the so-called "reality" struck in. I was back home: ❗ No data. ❗ No internet. ❗ No job. Just a skill I had gained… but no immediate way to use it. Meanwhile, others had secured permanent roles from their internships. It felt overwhelming. After a full year of learning, I found myself broke, unemployed, and questioning what was next. For a moment, I almost settled. Then, a month later… everything changed. Uncommon.org reached out with a job offer, one that paid 3x more than what I almost settled for, with better working conditions and real growth potential. And that’s when it clicked. When I first started at Uncommon.org, I was uncertain. I had never heard of the skills they were teaching, and I didn’t know if they could truly provide a living. As a single mom, choosing to spend a year learning instead of earning felt like a huge risk. But a year later, I understood: *If I hadn’t taken that risk… *If I hadn’t invested in building my skills… *If I hadn't chosen to be broke and learning... The least would have felt like the most. Skill-building isn’t a waste of time. That period of zero income, endless tutorials, and late nights spent learning is the future of higher income, steady profits, and plenty of time to sleep. Every successful entrepreneur, every big company, every leader echoes the same truth. If you want more, you have to give more, you have to risk more. Invest in yourself first. Proud to be part of the Uncommon.org team. 🎉

Uncommon - Uncommon describes something rare, unusual, or not frequently seen, occurring below normal expectations. It also refers to something exceptional or remarkable in degree. And true to this exact definition is Uncommon.org. What a rarity to come across an organisation that embodies the essence of being both exceptional and an anomaly in serving children and young adults through technology and coding. To see the limitless capacity of the human spirit, to experience the road less travelled, and to see how adversity inspires change, is to experience Uncommon and the quiet but powerful force that is so evident in the people (those serving and being served), the work, and the impact. Uncommon is truly a living testimony of having a heart for community. Uncommon.org is an example of the immense impact that can occur when you carry out community-based innovations. The Uncommon team are addressing local needs, fostering ownership, creating employment opportunities and catering to the communities that are often forgotten. Take the time to check out the work they are doing and support them in any way you can. Finally, thank you J. Peter Kazickas, Michelle Gwatiringa, Walter Gombarume, Uncommon.org team for this truly incredible experience!

Inspiration vs Implementation I’ve spent a lot of time lately obsessing over how design systems power the apps we use every day. It was so refreshing to step back from the "Double Diamond" research phase and finally get into the weeds of building out actual UI components in Figma. I’m happy to share that I’ve officially completed my Introduction to Design Systems certification through Uxcel! 🏅 It’s been an intense couple of days learning how to keep things scalable and—most importantly—consistent. Consistency, consistency, consistency... 🤣 Huge thanks to my instructors, Vanessa Mudzipurwa and Kirsty Matyukira at Uncommon.org, for the constant support and for always pushing me to keep building. On to the next sprint! #Uncommon #KuwadzanaHUB #DesignSystems #ProductDesign #Figma

Hello LinkedIn 👋 I’m Steven Dzvukamanja, currently studying digital skills at Uncommon.org and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity to grow in tech. So far I’ve learned Scratch, WoofJS, and Artificial Intelligence, and now we are doing product design. I’m also proud to be volunteering in my local community, teaching young people coding and giving back what I’ve learned through Scratch. A sincere thank you to our founder J. Peter Kazickas Kazickas for creating this opportunity for us to learn and grow. Looking forward to learning, connecting, and building in the tech space. #Digital learning #Gratitude #ProductDesign #AI

Grateful for the journey and the growth. As I reflect on my experience with Uncommon.org , I’m reminded of powerful Shona(words) saying: "Natsa kwaunobva, kwaunoenda husiku.” Where you come from shapes where you’re going. The foundation built, the lessons learned and the community experienced here continue to guide my path forward. Thank you for being part of my story. Walter Gombarume Beyond Bechani Lovemore Kugarahuswa Leo Mazive Uncommon.org #GiveToGain #CareerGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #IWD2026

The boxes sat quietly at the front of the room, ordinary brown, unremarkable, as if they had no idea what they were carrying. Then we opened them. Something shifted. A soft, collective inhale. Eyes widened. Hands hovered, unsure whether they were allowed to touch what felt suddenly sacred. For some of these students, this was not an upgrade or a replacement. This was a first. The first #laptop they had ever seen up close. The first time a future felt physical enough to rest on their laps. At Uncommon.org, before the lessons, before the code, before the grand ideas of AI, Product Design, Software Engineering and Digital Marketing, we teach the quiet rituals: how to open a laptop gently, how to carry it like something that matters, how to care for it so it can care for you back. There is always laughter someone clicking too softly, afraid it might “break the internet,” haha. Another staring at the keyboard like it might ask a question first. We laugh because joy needs somewhere to go. And then the smiles arrive. Not the polite kind. The real ones. The kind that stay even when no one is watching. In those moments, a laptop stops being a machine. It becomes a key. A bridge. A promise. You can almost see it in their eyes the quiet understanding that the world just grew larger, and they are now allowed to explore it.

Hey everyone! I have always enjoyed trying out new things, especially when it comes to technology and creativity. Recently, I’ve been exploring Scratch, which is a really fun platform where you can make games, animations, and interactive stories. In my own words, I would say Scratch is like digital Lego blocks you snap actions together, and suddenly your ideas start moving, making sounds, and coming to life. It’s a place where experimenting is encouraged, mistakes are part of the process, and every small success feels exciting. One of the first projects I worked on was creating my favorite game, Ghostbusters. I chose this game because I enjoy the idea of chasing ghosts and solving challenges. Ghostbusters taught me how to plan, test, and solve problems step by step, and it was very satisfying to see the game work exactly how I imagined. Alongside creating my own projects, I have had the chance to teach pupils Scratch at school. I have taught learners aged 6 to 14 at Nwenyama Primary, Mganinwi High School, and Zara pupils, helping them build their own games and animations. Teaching has been an amazing experience because I have learnt how to explain ideas simply, guide students when they get stuck, and make coding fun. It has also helped me develop patience, communication, and leadership skills, and seeing students proud of their creations is really rewarding.

If you are building for Africa and you are not spending time on the ground, you are guessing. Yesterday at the Uncommon.org Nedbank Innovation Hub in Bulawayo, what was meant to be a simple visit turned into one of the longest and most challenging Q&A sessions I have had. The students asked sharp, thought-provoking questions and pushed me on my assumptions. Their passion and gratitude were impossible to ignore. They also acted as testing specialists for our new app ( https://typespark.fun/ ), a progressive web app designed to teach children how to type offline. Every user journey was tested. All languages covered. No gaps. Their feedback has already led to meaningful improvements. Being present matters. Context matters. People matter. This experience has directly influenced the decisions I will make as we build Remote263.Org. Thank you to Tay Dylan Magwaro for hosting me and for the thought provoking conversations. I cannot wait to return next year. I also walked away with 18 new LinkedIn connections and a renewed sense of why this work is important.