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Latwell Nyangu

Youth Interactive Correspondent

Mobile Intelligence Technologies (MI-tech) a software engineering student company from Ndarama High school in Masvingo scooped the grand prize of US$1 000, trophy and certificates at the 2023 Junior Achievement Africa Company of the Year Competition held in Rwanda last week.

The team, MI-tech produced a science application called Mi-lab that does science experiments.

Running under the theme “Breaking Barriers” the 13th edition brought together ten student companies from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Eswathini, Mauritius, Côte d’Ivore, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

MI-tech were defending a trophy for the country in which in 2022 the trophy came to Zimbabwe again with Hekima Inc, a student company from Maranatha Christian High School, with an educational application called study buddie.

As if that was not enough the team also scooped the PMIEF Project Management awards and the FEDEX award attaining themselves tablets.

The FedEx award recognizes student-run businesses that best exhibit the principles of global connectivity, innovation, connection to new markets, whilst fuelling community development and sustainable and social responsibility.

 The Project Management Institute Education Foundation award recognizes student companies who have demonstrated their ability to apply project management principles throughout the lifecycle of their project.

MI-Tech now will be defending the trophy for Africa in 2024 for the Ralph De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award, as Hekima Inc again are the 2023 current winners.

In an interview the CEO Anesu Ruzive said they are ready to provide solutions.

“We set out to solve the global challenge that in the developing world science laboratories are scarce and usually insufficiently equipped.

“In the developed world where more resources are available, students are often disturbed by natural and man-made disasters such as pandemics and wars.

“Our application breaks socio-economic status, location, gender, race, disability and digital divide barriers since anyone can access it on an android mobile device or computer anywhere without data costs.”

Junior Achievement Zimbabwe’s executive director Allen Chinhanhu said, winning the competitions shows the capability of Zimbabwean youths.

“Winning the competition two years in a row shows that Zimbabwean youths are capable of competing at the highest level.

“I am confident that this year’s group is capable of matching last year’s performance at the Ralph De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Awards.

“Maranatha Christian School made history by becoming the first African student company to win the coveted global award.”

The team comprising Ruzive, production director Prosper Dzinavatonga, finance director Tapiwa Chuma, and human resources director Prince Marley Tarirana, developed an offline application that enables students to carry out any Zimsec or IGCSE Physics, Biology and Chemistry experiment on a 3D simulator.

The application also offers e-books and edutainment material, a mobile interaction hub and a career guidance platform with 3D mock interviews, driving, and aviation lesson simulations.

Junior Achievement Zimbabwe is a non-profit organisation with a mission to economically empower Zimbabwe’s youth by bridging the gap between classroom education and the world of work.

Junior Achievement Zimbabwe programmes focus on the core content areas of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship, and provide experiential learning opportunities for young people to prepare for their professional lives in the twenty-first century.

More than one million young people, both in-school and out-of-school, in urban, peri-urban and rural communities have taken part in Junior Achievement Zimbabwe programs since its inception in 1999.