EDITOR—WHEN the word invention is uttered, what comes to people’s minds is China, Japan, Germany, Korea and the US. 

However, this has over time changed as other countries have joined the race of producing inventors and inventions with a wow effect. 

And Africa has not been left out in this new wind of change. Across Africa sons and daughters of the continent are daily coming up with various life changing innovations. 

Zimbabwe must not be left behind too. Our children are currently graduating from various tertiary institutions and innovation hubs have been set up in these places of higher learning. 

I am appealing to our scholars to come up with innovations that will accelerate our development effort.

 Students of medicine must come up with solutions to help our people access low cost health services. Our agriculture graduates and mathematicians must come up with formulas that will see every piece of land fully utilised. 

Our social sciences students must help our societies develop and grow. If we love our continent, if citizens love their country then we must come up with solutions to address the numerous problems besetting us. 

We must not wait for outsiders for solutions.

The girl child should not be left behind in this agenda, she too must play a leading role and realise her full potential. 

We cannot continue looking up to the West where assistance, if it can be called that, comes with all sorts of conditions some of them which are unpalatable to us. 

We have an obligation to future generations, let us make them proud when they read their history, it must be one full of growth and glory.

Blessing Makwakwa, Banket