STAFF WRITER
A four-month program aimed at equipping young people in Zimbabwe to create opportunities for themselves and others reached its business end on Monday with Queen Elizabeth High School retracing their journey in creating biodegradable diapers as an environmentally friendly product.
The school team is part of eight entrepreneurship groups representing eight high schools from across Zimbabwe in a program dubbed Virtual Innovation Accelerator run by Emergination Africa.
Each of the teams has received €5,000 as seed capital for their business ventures.
Queen Elizabeth’s venture has proved to be the most innovative out of the eight teams. Last month the project was adjudged to be the best venture operating and also won the best project road map and the best problem statement understanding.
On Monday, during the final leg of the Virtual Innovation Accelerator, Queen Elizabeth School’s business venture team shared their experience of building a business venture to inspire business enterprise among other high school learners.
The teenage team of CEO Nataly Nyika, 18, Managing Director Lucy Kloppers, 18, Financial Director Zvikomborero Mutungiro, 19, and Product Manager Ruth Mushando, 18 showcased their Diapo diapers and the journey they have traversed so far.
Nyika said the idea to create biodegradable diapers to form a company called Diapo was born out of seeing diapers being dumped on the side walk.
The 18-year-old Queen Elizabeth upper six student said the disposal of the alternative diapers presented challenges adding that she noticed that they are either burnt, or buried in the ground or thrown dumped in illegal dumpsites in the suburb.
This could result in the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera.
Acting District Schools Inspector Richard Julias said the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education applauds the school team’s concept as it promotes employment creation rather than job seeking citizens.
“Let me start by congratulating Diapo Pvt Ltd, on conducting the 2021 Innovation Accelerator Circle programme. We are proud of Queen Elizabeth who initiated this project – the idea/concept of Diapo Pvt Ltd. The project symbolises entrepreneurship and this is in sync with competence based curriculum which accentuates the acquisition of skills in learning,” he said.
The final leg of the program comes after last month’s pitch day in which, the eight teams being, Oriel Boys High School, Nyatsime College, Northlea High School, Hippo Valley High School, Mzingwane High School, Queen Elizabeth High School, St Dominic’s Chishawasha and Manama High School, pitched their business venture ideas before a panel of judges.
The judges panel consisted of past president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries Sifelani Jabangwe, managing and creative director of Glen Agric Africa Tsungi Banga, Jessica Espinoza – founder of XOCO, an inclusive edtech venture and a fellow at Columbia eLab, Nicolai Andersen – the Managing Partner for Consulting at Deloitte Germany and head of the Southern Africa Department at the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH Professor Matthias Rompel.
Oriel Boys High School pitched a Biogas Energy venture, Nyatsime College presented an Avocado 8Seed Tea, Northlea High School pitched Fruit juice produced from local baobab fruit, Hippo Valley High School thrust their weight behind a multipurpose small grains shelling machine venture.
Mzingwane High School presented value prepositions and prototypes in the area of Tomato processing.
Emergination Africa Country Director Farai Mushawasha on Monday said the Virtual Innovation Accelerator is an opportunity for Emergination Africa in partnership with Deloitte Consulting GmbH to accelerate an environment which young people can create economic opportunities in their communities through innovative ventures aligned to the SDGs.
Interested in partnering Emergination Africa, contact Farai on fmushawasha@emerginationafrica.org
Emergination Africa is an organization that provides e-mentoring programs for African high school students.
