Zimbabwe Rising

Broadcom Foundation’s partnership with the Africa Science Buskers Festival (ASBF) amplifies opportunities for young people to apply STEM knowledge, computational thinking, and coding to address issues they care about that align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. ASBF, takes place in Harare, capital city of Zimbabwe, and is Africa’s largest science communication showcase for young scientists, engineers, and innovators. As part of this partnership, Broadcom Foundation sponsors the festival with the Broadcom Coding with Commitment® award to provide inspiration for students to learn basic coding and responsible use of AI as essential tools in STEM, and to foster civic engagement by “thinking globally while acting locally.”

Rising Stars: From Africa Science Buskers Festival to the World Stage

Ruvarashe Moyo, 2021 Broadcom MASTERS

Ruvarashe Moyo’s story captures the spirit of the Africa Science Buskers Festival along with Broadcom Foundation’s mission to inspire young people to solve real-world problems in STEM. A five-time ASBF finalist and 2021 Broadcom MASTERS International delegate, Ruvarashe credits her teacher Knowledge Chikundi for challenging her to see herself as a scientist and use education to tackle problems in her community that she cares about. Growing up where daily electrical power outages and lack of clean tap water are common, she realized her community needed her to become a changemaker.

Ruvarashe’s experience with Broadcom MASTERS International shifted her mindset. “It was not a competition but a platform where we were celebrated for our work. No one talked about winning, only about how we could form lifelong friendships and collaborations to help our communities.” That experience helped her embrace the journey and take pride in being the first in her family and community to pursue science fairs.

Ruvarashe Moyo in 2025

Recently accepted to Princeton University, Ruvarashe is excited for the journey ahead. "I have always wanted to pursue research, and at Princeton I will learn from world-leading professors and collaborate with peers who are as passionate as I am." She is steadfastly committed to improving access to clean water and energy by using emerging technologies to uplift her community.

Kudzaishe Chaonwa

Other ASBF alumni are also making strides in their higher education after their own inspiring experiences with the festival. Kudzaishe Chaonwa, who mentored students at the Tongogara Refugee Camp and was selected as a 2024 Education Matters Capstone Fellow, is heading to Brown University on a full scholarship.

Keith Anesu Raul Tamwa, an advocate for AI-driven solutions to food insecurity, and whose YouTube channel ALevel Physics Redefined has reached over 15,000 learners worldwide, will attend Oxford University among the inaugural cohort of Ellison Scholars. Speaking at the 2025 ASBF, Keith shared his personal philosophy with attendees: “I am doing the best I can with what I have to solve problems that I am passionate about.”

Keith Anesu Raul Tamwa

ASBF alumni Thomas Machingaidze and Gigi Nyambirai earned full scholarships from the Mawhiba Foundation after presenting their projects as finalists at the 2025 Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF). Thomas developed an AI-powered portable eye-screening device for babies in low-resource settings, while Gigi designed a biomimicry-inspired antivirus system that replicates nature’s defenders to combat digital threats.

Gigi Nyambirai

Thomas Machingaidze

Africa Science Buskers Festival: Over 350 Youth Compete in 2025

With more than 350 youth from 21 countries competing in 2025, this year’s African Science Buskers Festival was the “biggest and best ever,” according to Knowledge Chikundi, the fair’s director. The 2025 Broadcom Coding with Commitment® award was presented to Nothando Mutisi for her autonomous water-cleaning robotic system, designed to detect, monitor, and mitigate both chemical and physical pollution in aquatic environments. To learn more about the Broadcom Coding with Commitment® award at the Africa Science Buskers Festival, visit https://sciencebuskers.org/coding-with-commitment.

Nothando Mutisi

Coding Jamboree: Building the Future, Unleashing Imagination Broadcom Foundation’s commitment to digital literacy expanded at the 2025 Africa Science Buskers Festival with the launch of the Coding Jamboree. Feedback from students, teachers, and parents was overwhelming for this special space, where youth aged 10-14 created and explored coding, the responsible use of AI, and hardware — whether as individuals or in code clubs and school groups. “The entire world is moving rapidly towards universal application of AI in everyday activities —in and outside the classroom,” said Paula Golden, President of the Broadcom Foundation. “Broadcom Foundation takes special pride in the visionary work Knowledge and the Africa Science Buskers Festival team engage in to help students stay ahead of the curve with use of this powerful new tool.” This video shows how young people who participated in the Coding Jamboree gained 21^st Century+ coding skills that build confidence and drive innovation.

Capitalizing its annual programs, ASBF sends STEM activity boxes to homes and schools, helping children build science projects, robots, and software. It also organizes Zimbabwe’s premier national science competition, the Zimbabwe Science Fair, which invites students from across the country to showcase innovative research and community-based solutions before expert judges. In addition, ASBF hosts Maker Camps to transform children’s interests into real-world STEM skills, creating pathways for youth of all backgrounds.

Together, Broadcom Foundation and the Africa Science Buskers Festival are helping young scholars to rise — equipping them with tools, training, and encouragement to shape their futures. By promoting digital literacy, introducing coding as a foundational skill, and encouraging responsible use of AI, they provide young people with confidence and tools to follow exciting STEM pathways, like the young college-bound winners celebrated by Broadcom Foundation in this article.

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Broadcom Inc. is an American company and global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions. Solutions include service provider and enterprise networking and storage, mobile device and broadband connectivity, mainframe, cybersecurity, and private and hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Broadcom Foundation is a corporate nonprofit that advocates equitable access to STEM education and acquiring digital literacy as essential for attaining meaningful employment and becoming productive citizens in a tech-driven society. The foundation promotes basic coding as a critical 21st Century+ skill that all young people need to be creative STEM problem solvers who think critically, communicate and collaborate and who will help realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.

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Meet the 2025 Africa Science Buskers Festival participants here: : https://sciencebuskers.org/science-buskers-festival#d17c81b4-964b-4fc7-8714-3c39cccfef1c.