Meet Maud Chifamba, the youngest Zimbabwean to be accepted in University at 14
Maud Chifamba born on 19 November 1997 in Chegutu is the youngest Zimbabwean ever to be accepted at the University of Zimbabwe where she enrolled at the age of 14 to study for an Accounting degree.
She was listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa in 2012. She received the Great Young Achievers Award at the Great Women Awards held in Dubai as well as the Panel Choice Award at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards in 2014.
Background
Maud Chifamba was born on November 19, 1997 in the Hunters resettlement areas of Chegutu. [1] She has a younger brother Mukundi. They lost their father when Maud was just five years old. Her mother was suffering from cancer and she could not take care of them. Maud then moved in with her step brother. Her mother passed on in December, 2011. Her father was a soldier and her mother was a housewife.
Education
Maud did her primary education in Chegutu and her remarkable aptitude impressed her primary school teachers who decided to move her up from Grade 3 to Grade 6. She took her Grade Seven examinations at nine years and had six units, but could not proceed to secondary school due to lack of funds.
She therefore read at home and in two years time in 2009 when she was only 11 she sat for her Ordinary Level examinations and passed. realizing her rare academic brilliance and appreciating her plight Government through the Ministry of Education offered to pay for her A-level education and she excelled again, this time passing with 12 points in 2011 when she was 13 years of age.
After passing her Advanced Level she earned her a four-year scholarship of nearly $10,000 from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, for her university studies. She did her industrial attachment at the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority.
Graduation
She graduated at the age of 18 on the 29th of September 2016 with a Bachelors in Accounting Honours Degree and was capped by President Robert Mugabe.
At age 20, Maud Chifamba obtained a Masters degree in Accountancy and became the Zimbabwe’s youngest chartered Accountant at 23.
Awards
Maud was the brand promoter of the University of Zimbabwe since 2014 and was also the Vice-Chancellor’s ambassador in 2014. She received the Great Young Achievers Award at the Great Women Awards held in Dubai as well as the Panel Choice Award at the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards in 2014.[4] In 2012 Forbes Magazine listed her as one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa together with fellow Zimbabweans Danai Gurira and Jacqueline Chimhanzi.
Trivia
Chifamba was not happy and confident with her looks but as time went on she came to terms with it and in an interview she said,
Every human being has his or her insecurities but I managed to get through it. I still care about being beautiful and pretty which I guess every girl does but I have put my mind on other things and other priorities other than just looks.
