Kudzai Shava

For complete information, visit: Prof. Gwen B. Fischer Home Page

Mr. Shava is currently the Director of the Disability Resource Center at Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe. He holds certificates in Education and a Bachelor of Education and is working towards his Master's Degree in Educational Psychology and Special Education. He has worked as a research assistant and research colleague in many phases of research into infant development. He has worked as a member of various executive boards in the disability movement in Zimbabwe. He has written articles on disability issues for a national business periodical in Zimbabwe. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Claude Ake Award in 2004 from the Africa America Institute (one of 8 scholars from all over Africa). He has been working since 2002 to teach blind youngsters to be peer educators about HIV/AIDS and to develop sustainable income-generating projects for the blind so they can continue their education and be mainstreamed into society.

Kudzai Shava earned a Certificate in Education in 1988, a Diploma in Education (Special Education) in 1996, from the United College of Education in Zimbabwe, and a Bachelor of Education (Primary Education-Special Education-Language Arts in Junior Classes) from the University of Zimbabwe in 2002. He is working towards his Masters’ degree at Midlands State University.

From 2001 through to 2005, he worked with Professor Gwen Fischer of Hiram College, Hiram, OH , first as a research assistant, then as a colleague in numerous phases of research on the Kent Infant Development Scale (KIDS).

He has been a LIFE MEMBER OF JAIROS JIRI ASSOCIATION, a MEMBER OF VARIOUS EXECUTIVE BOARDS IN DISABILITY MOVEMENT, (National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped - NASCOH, Zimbabwe Association of Visually Handicapped - ZAVH).

Kudzai has won numerous awards: An AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT IN COMMUNITY SERVICE 1999 – ROTARY CLUB KADOMA BRANCH. In 2004, he was granted the CLAUDE AKE AWARD by the AFRICA AMERICA INSTITUTE. He was one of eight scholars from all over Africa to win this award. As a result of this award, Mr. Shava traveled to the United States, where he was a guest at UCLA , a Fulbright Academy presentation in Cleveland, the Cleveland Sight Center, and Hiram College. In November, 2004, he presented the proposal that earned him the award at the annual conference of the African Studies Association in New Orleans.

From June through November of 2003, Mr. Shava wrote a number of articles on handicapped issues for the Business Tribune of Zimbabwe. On the website link below is a list of topics. You can click on them to read the articles. Please note: This series of articles is copied from the original web-pages which are no longer available online, since the Business Tribune of Zimbabwe closed.

Gwen Fischer Home Page

He was recently inducted into the Lions Club of Gweru, Zimbabwe, just a few weeks ago. Kudzai has been blind since he was three years old.

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