Latwell Nyangu
MOBILE Intelligence Technologies (MI-tech), a software engineering student company from Ndarama High school in Masvingo, scooped the grand prize of US$1000, a trophy and certificates at the 2023 Junior Achievement Africa Company of the Year Competition in Rwanda last week.
The team produced a science application called Mi-lab.
Running under the theme “Breaking Barriers,” the 13th edition of the competition brought together ten student companies from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Eswatini, Mauritius, Côte d’Ivore, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
MI-tech were defending a trophy Zimbabwe won last year 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.
The FedEx award recognises student-run businesses that best exhibit the principles of global connectivity, innovation, connection to new markets, while fuelling community development and sustainable and social responsibility.
The PMIEF award recognises student companies who have demonstrated their ability to apply project management principles throughout the lifecycle of their project.
In an interview, CEO Anesu Ruzive, said they were 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 was made up of Ruzive, production director Prosper Dzinavatonga, finance director Tapiwa Chuma, and human resources director Prince Marley Tarirana.
They developed an application that enables students to carry out any Zimsec or IGCSE Physics, Biology and Chemistry experiment on a 3D simulator.