Mberengwa Christian School – Faith, Innovation, and a Future Reimagined

Location: Zimbabwe.

This story began on a street corner in South Africa where Graham Vermooten first met Alpha Zhou - a refugee from Zimbabwe holding a paintbrush and hoping for work. By day, Alpha painted houses. By night, he was quietly completing his Master’s degree in Educational Administration. Graham and Alpha became friends and together they dreamt of educational transformation in the town of Mberengwa.

Years later, Alpha and his wife Antonia returned to Zimbabwe with a vision far bigger than a paintbrush: they founded Mberengwa Christian School, driven by their shared passion for quality education and their unwavering faith.

From humble beginnings, Mberengwa Christian School quickly rose to distinction. Within just a few years, it achieved a 100% pass rate and was soon recognized as one of the best schools in the region. But Alpha and Antonia weren’t only focused on academic outcomes; they were determined to build something sustainable.

Thanks to a donation of three bread ovens, the school now bakes fresh bread daily - often the only meal many learners receive. But the breakthroughs didn’t stop there.

When the school received its first SmartBox, a portable digital education hub containing 20 rugged Chrome books preloaded with a full digital curriculum, they immediately converted a classroom into a computer lab. In a region where digital access was once unthinkable, Mberengwa became the first school in the area to offer computer training. Today they have two SmartBoxes and learners who had never touched a keyboard confidently navigating a digital world, preparing for futures that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago.

School fees alone could never cover the costs of running the school. Alpha knew they needed a different approach—one that would empower the school and its students long-term.

They turned to the land.

Rows of spinach were planted. Chickens were raised. The produce was sold, not just to feed students, but to fund scholarships, support staff salaries, and stabilize the school’s operations. Learners themselves water the gardens and care for the chickens, gaining practical skills in agriculture, business, and responsibility.

The classrooms of Mberengwa Christian School aren’t just spaces for education.

They are places where hope is rekindled, dignity is restored, and the love of God is demonstrated in tangible, daily acts.

When you support Sustainable Missions, you partner with local heroes like Alpha and Antonia - people who turn paintbrushes into purpose, and schools into sanctuaries of transformation.