“My name is Anderson K Mapfumo. I am 34 years old. I was born and bred in Gokwe South District in Jange Village, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. I did my primary schooling at Chehanga Primary School and then attended Mateta Rujeko High School. I completed my Ordinary Levels in 2006 and obtained eight ordinary level subjects. In 2008, at Advanced Level, I obtained 10 points in a combination of arts which included Literature in English, History and Divinity.
My dream was to go university so I applied to several local universities. I was admitted to study but failed to pursue my studies because my family could not afford to pay for my studies as this would affect my other seven siblings’ chances of going to high school.”
What did you do instead of university?
After failing to go to university, I decided to look for employment so that I could fund my studies. The only kind of employment I could get was in construction. I got my first job in 2010 and it was during this time that I decided to enroll in the Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Management Certificate offered by the National Social Security Authority of Zimbabwe. Because I was working on contract employment things were not easy. I enrolled for a Diploma in Safety, Health and Environmental Management with the Zimbabwe Institute of Management in 2012 and completed the studies in 2014. However I failed to graduate because I had debts as I was supporting my siblings. In 2020, I succeeded in obtaining my certificate. Today I am still dreaming of going to university.
How did you learn about Alison ?
I came to know about Alison in April 2014 when I was looking for free courses on the internet. I decided to give it a try and went on to complete my first course.
What was your first course on Alison and why did you choose it ?
My first course on Alison was Behaviour-Based Safety. I choose this course because I was working as a Safety Officer on a construction site and I wanted to know more about how different people behaved. I wanted to prevent accidents in my work so the first thing I wanted was to understand human beings and their attitudes.
How have Alison courses your career ?
As I am a Health and Safety professional my duty is to advise organizations on devising ways to prevent unwanted events such as accidents, near misses and property damage. Alison courses have helped me to increase my knowledge. Alison Courses have up to date information and are easy to follow. With the help of Alison courses, I have been able to make informed decisions at work. I have gained more information on risk management, thus making it easier to conduct risk assessments on workplace tasks. Alison courses I have taken include the Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health, Construction Safety, Food Safety and Hygiene in the Catering Industry, Hazard Recognition and Risk Assessments and ISO 45001:2018 – Principles of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.
What is your favourite way to relax from studying ?
I’m a Barcelona FC and a Liverpool fan so when I’m relaxing, especially on weekends, I like watching soccer. I also likes travelling and seeing new places.
Where are you working and what are you studying now?
I am working as a Safety Health and Environmental Officer at Onel Electrical Engineers Ltd in Harare, Zimbabwe. I’m also currently studying courses on Alison in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Transformational Leadership, Skills for being an Inspirational Leader and Modern Project Management.
What’s next for you , in terms of education or work ?
My dream is to obtain a degree. I would love to enroll in a Bachelors of Environmental Science in Safety, Health and Environmental Management at Bindura University.
What would you say to someone if they asked you about Alison ? Would you recommend it and why ?
If someone asked me about Alison I would say that Alison is number one and so innovative. I was inspired by the way Alison offers courses for free. Knowledge is power and it is priceless. I would recommend Alison because Alison’s course content is rich and easily understood, the platform is innovative and accommodates everyone and the website is perfectly designed.