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Team HIT Scoops Digital Knowledge Award at Enactus National Competitions

Team HIT Scoops Digital Knowledge Award at Enactus National Competitions

The HIT Enactus team won the Digital Knowledge Award worth $750 at the ENACTUS National Competition held on Friday 14 July at the Celebration Centre, in Harare.

Enactus teams from nine Zimbabwean universities participated at the entrepreneurship event.

The ENACTUS TEAM was awarded the Digital Knowledge award for outstanding use of technological tools in marketing their project, GreeNovative Agriculture; exhibiting the best social media presence, using advanced graphics, video and audio tools in the presentation media and showcasing exceptional presentation skills.

HIT ENACTUS President, Terrence Mawanga and Marketing Director Cleophas Ngwenya were both elated about the recognition, saying it was a confirmation of their belonging to a tech –savvy University, using the popular HIT dictum, "Technocrats for Life!"

"We had a competitive edge over other Universities because we are well-versed in technological issues. So for us, the award was a recognition of all the skills we have, the hard work, and all our efforts," he said.

Faculty Adviser, Eng.  Ngoni Chirinda also expressed his excitement at the award.

"Their performance was quite encouraging in terms of effort; their team work was great from the preparatory stages to the final. It’s quite exciting to be a part of such achievements," he said. Eng. Chirinda added that the teams’ recognition through the Digital Knowledge Award was a demonstration of the skills they have been imparted with at HIT; and evidence of the thorough training they were receiving through their lecturers.

HIT ENACTUS showcased the GreeNovative Agriculture project. The projects are student –led innovative solutions used to create socially based entrepreneurial ventures for targeted communities.

Through 17 –minute oral presentations, the team argued their project case before a panel of judges consisting of business and industry stakeholders from several established companies in Zimbabwe.

GreeNovative Agriculture is a two-primed approach consisting of the PET E-HOUSE and PhytoFert fertilizer. The team worked with the Homefield Centre – a respite for people living with mental challenges, - as the project beneficiaries. HIT ENACTUS sought to empower the Homefield Centre students with practical skills. 

Using pet plastic beverage bottles, wires and wooden planks, and bubble wrap gun as a gap sealing agent, the team constructed a PET E-HOUSE, which a miniature version of a greenhouse is commonly referred to as a "cold frame." The PET –E-HOUSE is used for plants requiring regulated climatic conditions. Its interior is exposed to sunlight and becomes significantly warmer than external ambient temperatures; protecting its contents in cold weather. Plants such as tomatoes, and vegetables were later planted.

The PhytoFert fertilizer seeks to alleviate problems caused by water hyacinth in an innovative way. The project is essentially the production of organic fertilizer from the hyacinth plants. It is a fairly simple process, consisting of three steps which are hyacinth harvesting, hyacinth grinding and pulp dilution which is the mixing of the hyacinth pulp with water.

Through the GreeNovative Agriculture project, ENACTUS addressed SDGs 1, 2, 9 and 14. From market research, the Phyto Fert fertilizer was observed to be three times cheaper than commercially available liquid fertilizer and is incredibly rich in nutrients.

ENACTUS CRAFTED THE GREENOVATIVE MONEY manual that was used to educate the Homefield Centre instructors on proper budgeting, basic accounting, investment of monetary funds and internal auditing for funds obtained from the PET E-HOUSE and Phyto Fert.

President, - Terrence Mawanga extended his gratitude to the whole team for exhibiting commitment, the Homefield Centre Community, and the institution for financial support.

"We would also like to thank the Lord who gave us strength to see this project to its fruition," he said.