Alfred’s deeply personal story, told with candor and compassion, will inspire everyone who listens to him

The youngest of seven children, Alfred was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and grew up in the remote rural village of Mudzi. At the age of six he started school, happily walking the 5 km barefoot with his brothers. Alfred was desperate to learn about the world, but his school had no books to read or write in, so Alfred learnt to write in the sand. 

At the age of seven, his father, who was working in the small city of Masvingo, arranged for Alfred and his brother to move to the city so that they could get a better education.

This relatively small move had life-changing ramifications for Alfred. Masvingo had a library, and Alfred discovered the trans-formative power of reading. The library became a portal into a world outside of Zimbabwe, and he discovered his love of learning and science. 

But just reading about the outside world was not enough for Alfred he wanted to reach it. This was another challenge altogether, and one that would take more than 20 years of vision and courage.

When Alfred finally achieved his dream of obtaining a PhD (he is a sought-after specialist in electrochemistry and energy storage), he paused to contemplate on his journey from his village in Zimbabwe to the beautiful coastal city of Wollongong, and asked himself, “How can I give back to my community?”

Within a few months, Alfred had set up Aussie Books for Zim, a charity on a mission to improve the education and prospects of children in Zimbabwe by raising literacy rates. 

Alfred and his team have now sent more than 100,000 books to Zimbabwe, set up nine libraries, and have plans to expand their program across Africa to reach many more children.

Having had time to reflect on his achievements, his setbacks and his opportunities, Alfred is now on a mission not just to give back to his community, but to build a brighter future for all of us by sharing his inspirational story with the world.