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Boost Fellowship 2014 Entrepreneurs Suite Challenge Launch

The 2014 Edition of the Boost Fellowship Entrepreneurs Suite Challenge was recently launched at the Harare Institute of Technology amid calls to provide young people with opportunities for mentoring, team creation, education and networking through various activities aimed at equipping them with the skills to generate business ideas, writing business plans and eventually start their own businesses.

The 2014 Boost Fellowship Entrepreneurs Suite Challenge programme sponsored by CBZ Holdings seeks to provide young entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity to turn innovative ideas into real businesses and building successful business enterprises for themselves and their communities.

In his welcome address, BOOST fellowship Board member, Mr P. Kadzere said that this programme brings together youths from high schools and universities to explore and venture into the world of entrepreneurship. "Our partnership strategy has been to transform the problem of youth unemployment and underemployment into an opportunity for wealth creation and social improvement by helping young entrepreneurs start their own viable businesses and the fellowship is looking forward to achieve this goal with this year’s edition", he said.

Mrs S. Zakariya ,Executive director of the BOOST Fellowship.Mr L. Chidembo, Head of the Small Medium Enterprises (SME's) CBZ Bank LimitedGroup Cow Fresh, posing for a photograph after  emerging the overall winner amongst the participating groups.Some of the students from various high schools and universities around the country attending the launch

 

 

 

Mr Kadzere added that the challenge is designed to cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs, financial, managerial leaders and innovators to help shape a successful future for our country and the continent.

The 2014 edition is looking to expand and reach more of Zimbabwe’s young people and cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit within them. This year’s fellowship is also looking forward to even more innovative and creative ideas coming from young people as they work to create successful futures for themselves through turning innovative ideas into real businesses.

In a speech presented on his behalf, the HIT Acting Vice Chancellor, Eng. Q.C Kanhukamwe expressed his gratitude for having been given the priviledge to host the launch of year’s edition of the Boost Fellowship Entrepreneurs Suite Challenge, an important national event which trains university and high school students to become entrepreneurs of note.

"I would like to thank the organisers of this event for making this conscious move to raise the standard of living amongst our youths by encouraging them where and when it matters most. This timely intervention awakens and inculcates the entrepreneurial spirit in our youths which spurs and gives them the stamina to venture into business, thus enabling our nation to address our micro economic objectives particularly as they relate to wealth and job creation", said the HIT Acting Vice Chancellor, Eng. Q.C Kanhukamwe.

Eng. Q.C Kanhukamwe said he is confident that the selection of HIT as the host was prompted by HIT’s tag line "success through innovation", which dovetails with the theme of this year’s programme  "innovation". "The HIT destiny, cause, calling is all about creating a culture that embraces and lives innovation. As a result we have deliberately established strategic centres within the Institute which promote innovation and technopreneurship", he said.

HIT has established a Technopreneurship Development Centre, which inculcates the technopreneurship ethos in its graduates with the aim of promoting the start-ups of high-tech entrepreneurs, business incubation, technology transfer and commercialization.

"All programmes at HIT must be viewed in the broader national context where our government has identified entrepreneurship through ZIMASSET as a cornerstone for economic turn around. Value addition is ne aspect in the ZIMASSET blue print that is achievable if entrepreneurship is deployed. You also recall that there is a government programme called Graduate Entrepreneurial and Employment Programme (GEEPP), which is targeting college, and university graduates by giving them opportunities to venture into business thus fighting unemployment among the youths. Therefore, we would like to thank the organizers of this event and CBZ Holdings for playing a pivotal role in this national developmental agenda", said the HIT Acting Vice Chancellor, Eng. Q.C Kanhukamwe.

CBZ Holdings also presented and handed over a cheque for US$55 000 as its sponsorship for this year’s edition, pledging to play a pivotal role in the growth of our economy and is looking forward to increasing their contribution in entrepreneurship development programmes in Zimbabwe.

The BOOST FELLOWSHIP Entrepreneurs Suite Challenge has been extended to high school students as well. Entrepreneurship is a viable option for our young people to secure successful careers and the earlier that the students are taught entrepreneurship skills, the more likely they are to consider entrepreneurship as a possible career as they forge their carrier paths at the end of high school.

During the launch four groups were chosen to take part in the Challenge, where they were given the task to come up with innovative business ideas in various sectors of the economy for presentation to a panel of judges and the audience. According to Mr. L. Chidembo, Head of the Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s) CBZ Bank Limited most of the groups business proposals were quite bankable. However, the group which proposed to manufacture and sell an extra ordinary air freshener called Cow Fresh, which is made from cow dung won the hearts of the audience and the judges emerging the overall winner amongst the participating groups.

In her closing remarks, the Executive director of the BOOST Fellowship, Mrs S. Zakariya reiterated the need for innovative thinking particularly among the young generation. "I would like to thank CBZ Holdings for giving young people this platform because it is through these platforms that young people are going to turn their innovative ideas to become reputable entrepreneurs like Strive Masiyiwa, Nigel Chanakira and Bill Gates. It starts from creative innovative thinking in line with the strengths and capabilities that you have", she said.

Mrs Zakariya also challenged HIT students to rise to the occasion as they had the best curriculum in the country that promotes innovation and technopreneurship.