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Dzivarasekwa

nicki keszler
Innovation Hub

The Story Behind nicki keszler Innovation Hub

This Hub will always have a special place in the heart of our founders as it was built in honor of the late Nicki Keszler, a young man who left us all far too soon. Nicki was a lover of life, a traveller, aspiring software engineer and someone who loved giving back and putting a smile on another person’s face.

This was the second Innovation Hub we had ever built and was placed in Kuwadzana, a low-income, high-density suburb outside of Harare, not far from our first Hub in Dzivarasekwa in January of 2020. We wanted to switch up the designs and had the idea to cover the Hub in plants, to make the space feel like a living & breathing entity.

Uncommon Nicki Keszler Kuwadzana HubUncommon Nicki Keszler Kuwadzana Hub

We also decided to go with a raw, wood interior and to strip the container floor down to its base layer to give the space a more natural feel. When we delivered the Innovation Hub to its final location, we installed the glass, plants and shelves.

We had a lot of fun working onsite and received a great deal of help from the students, staff and administrators at our partner school. It was a real joy to see how a space like this could bring people and communities together, even before it was officially opened!

The last steps in bringing Nicki’s Hub to life were to add the plants and solar power. Adding these finishing touches was a true community affair and we were delighted to have the Headmistress herself helping to plant the flowers which would become a true sight to see! We couldn’t be happier with how the Hub turned out!

Uncommon Nicki KeszlerUncommon Nicki KeszlerUncommon Nicki KeszlerUncommon Nicki KeszlerUncommon Nicki Keszler

2025 bootcamp intake now closed

We launched our 2025 Kuwadzana Bootcamp in January. If you are interested in joining our next intake, please fill out our application form. Priority will be given to early applicants. Thanks and good luck!

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While our after school programs are entirely free for our partner government schools, we offer paid courses to private & charter schools to help subsidize the costs of our free program. Please get in touch if you’d like to bring coding to your school.

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This week, we welcomed officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police's Victim Friendly Unit to our Innovation Hub for a comprehensive safeguarding workshop with our bootcamp students.

At Uncommon, the safety and well-being of our students and the communities we serve are paramount. This collaborative session gave our students invaluable insights into legal frameworks and best practices for safeguarding vulnerable individuals.

The workshop covered critical topics including:

🔹 Understanding child protection laws in Zimbabwe

🔹 Recognizing signs of abuse or distress

🔹 Proper reporting procedures

🔹 Creating safe learning environments

🔹 Professional boundaries when working with young people

As our students serve as instructors and role models for thousands of youth in our after-school coding program, equipping them with these essential safeguarding skills ensures we maintain the highest standards of protection across all our programs.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the ZRP Victim Friendly Unit for their expertise and dedication to community education. These partnerships strengthen our ability to provide not just quality technology education, but also safe and supportive learning environments for all.

#Safeguarding #ChildProtection #CommunityPartnership #TechEducation #Zimbabwe #Uncommon
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