By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE — When Cryton Maurukira stood before the Delta Corporation Class of 2026 at a sundowner celebration on Friday, he held up a phone—an Itel P36—and asked the room to look at it closely.
“This is the phone that carried me through university,” he said. “It sometimes gets stuck and takes minutes to open. But it is mine. And it helped me get here.”
It was a moment of profound humility and triumph. For the 29-year-old Actuarial Science graduate from the University of Zimbabwe, the journey to that stage was never supposed to happen—at least, not according to the odds.
Where He Comes From
Cryton‘s story begins in a place where university was a distant dream, not a destination.
His father passed away in 2008. His mother, a single parent, is still struggling to survive. From Grade 3, the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) paid for his schooling.
At Form 4, BEAM covered only six of the nine subjects he needed. He worked cutting tobacco wood to pay for the other three—and by God’s grace, he passed all nine.
DElta Corporation officials seated with Class of 2026 at a Graduation Sundowner held at Delta Corporation Head Office
Then Delta Corporation stepped in.
“From Form 5, Delta moved me from a rural school to a school in Karoi town. Then Delta brought me to the University of Zimbabwe,” he recalled. “From where I come from, I never imagined I would enter the gates of UZ. But Delta made it possible.”
The Struggles at UZ
University, however, brought new challenges—ones that would test his resolve at every turn.
He started Part 1 with no laptop, just a small phone. When COVID-19 struck and learning moved online, he had no data and no network at his rural home. He would climb a mountain to get reception for a single lecture. His phone would go two to three days without charging.
“That semester I failed three courses out of eight,” he said.
But he did not give up. A neighbor saw his struggle and bought him a laptop—and the Itel P36 he still uses today.
Things took another turn when his laptop and charger were stolen from his room. He went home with nothing. To buy another laptop and clothes, he panned for gold in rivers and worked on tobacco farms.
“During this time, there were days I slept on campus benches. There were times I slept on buses when I traveled for exams because I had nowhere to stay due to accommodation issues.”
The Delta Connection
By then, he was two years behind. But Delta—through its Bursary Programme—did not abandon him.
He approached Mr Kissmore Murandu of Delta Corporation and said, “Sir, I want to go back to school. I am from rural. I don’t know anything about attachment.”
“He did not chase me away. He helped me,” Cryton said.
He started at Claxon Actuaries as a volunteer. Three weeks later, ZB Life called. He did his interview and worked there for a year. Today, he stands as a graduate with an Upper Second Class in Actuarial Science.
A Message of Gratitude
“When I look at where I came from, and where I am now—at UZ, at ZB Life Towers, and here at Delta—I ask myself, is this really me?” he said.
Cryton is the first person in his entire family to graduate from university. At his graduation, he even stood close to the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe—a moment he could never have imagined growing up.
“When I called my relatives, sometimes they did not answer. But Delta answered. Every time. With respect and dignity.”
A Prayer and a Promise
Though he holds an Upper Second Class degree, Cryton believes his results do not reflect his true potential—because they include the struggles he endured.
“If God allows me the chance to write my IFoA exams, and if my things get settled, I pray for results that measure my real ability—not to be proud, but to show that I overcame these problems.”
To the Sponsors
In his closing words, Cryton spoke directly to the sponsors in the room—the people whose bursaries and support had made his journey possible.
“You may think you are just paying fees,” he said. “But to me, you paid for a future. You gave someone a chance.”
With tears in his eyes, he thanked his mother, his neighbours, everyone who helped him along the way—and above all, Delta Corporation and Mr Kissmore Murandu.
“Thank you, Delta. Thank you, Mr Murandu, for carrying me when I could not carry myself.”
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