The Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts or ZIVA was founded by Saki Mafundikwa in 1999 as the first school of design and new media in Zimbabwe. Mafundikwa, a typographer, designer, design educator, filmmaker, photographer, author of Afrikan Alphabets – the first book on Afrikan typography, and recent TED Talks speaker; after a long sojourn through the world of design and media in the United States
decided that the power of graphic and visual communication should be returned to the source where it all started, Zimbabwe. He returned to his country and amidst social and political upheavals managed to found and recently expand ZIVA into a program which galvanizes intrinsic values found in design. A typographer in his deepest roots, Mafundikwa is interested in teaching design students not simply how to communicate attractively, but also innovatively. During an interview, Mr. Mafundikwa stated that his goal as the director of ZIVA and as a designer is to touch people at a deeper level. Since its birth ZIVA has produced students such as, among others, Nontsikelelo Mutiti who received her MFA in design from Yale University, Maxine Chikumbo who now attends Cooper Union, and Christopher Masonga who in 2003 was awarded the Type Director's Club of New York City's Scholarship award. ZIVA is sending a new generation of designers and artists onto an arts scene that is in the of a 4th generation pop art movement. Still, dreams accomplished and institutions established require continued support. The goal is $100,000. The funds will be allocated to changing HP laptops to powerful Mac desktop computers, to changing Photoshop CS3 into updating technical design manuals to the latest on the market, to expanding faculty, and last but definitely not least, to providing full scholarships to deserving and talented young designers.
