adminAFTER studying entrepreneurial leadership at African Leadership Academy (ALA), Belinda Munemo, went on to establish an institution that shapes and inspires young minds.
She is one of several young business persons from seven African countries including Uganda, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, featured recently in documentaries spotlighting entrepreneurs.
The young Zimbabwean went on to build a school in Harare and has demonstrated what it means to embark on an entrepreneurial journey at a young age.
The documentaries reveal new role models for other youths who might be considering entrepreneurship.
Last month saw the launch of a new mini-documentary and case study series of very young African entrepreneurs designed to enable high-school and university educators to engage students meaningfully about entrepreneurship as a career path.
Munemo says the ALA programme changed her life by opening up possibilities of following a career path with meaning and purpose.
“The two-year experience is very challenging not only academically, but at a personal level the courses force you to introspect and find the core reasons/motivations for your decisions,” she explains.
ALA, Munemo explains, is an institution training young people from all over the continent in the hope of making a positive impact. So when Munemo attended and like her schoolmates had to reflect and decide on how they were going to make a difference.
She says of the take-away from the programme: “I entered ALA and for my A level subjects, I chose Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English.
“From Zimbabwe, I had always known I would be a doctor, after all I was considered very intelligent and as a doctor I would help people and have a prestigious title. After being exposed to Leadership and Entrepreneurship at ALA, I realised that there was more to a career than titles and generic missions such as helping people.
“One had to pick something that intersects between one’s passion and talent. That’s the sweet spot where you’ll be both satisfied, happy and highly impactful. That sweet spot gives fuel to navigate the challenges of your career and path, it helps you fulfill purpose.”
After ALA I took a gap year and ran an accelerator program ‘Junior Entrepreneurs of Zimbabwe’ which sought to empower youth between 16-25 with understanding and insight into entrepreneurship, build a business plan and pitch that to potential investors.
It was then she had a Eureka moment, realised that she loved and was really good at teaching and entrepreneurship. That saw the establishment of Reekworth Junior School.
From there, she decided to switch to a career where she would impact people through education and entrepreneurship. Now the school has been established for 10 years and going strong.
Reekworth allowed her to merge two passions of hers into one. She explains: “I could stay true to my entrepreneurial journey while impacting others. Our school isn’t just for entrepreneurs in this sense, we teach entrepreneurial thinking which is more focused on problem-solving. We also design for self-reflection so that students choose career paths and subjects based on their assessment of their strengths and interests not based on their grade or IQ.
“I was very young and ambitious when Reekworth started. I had the immense support of my mother who is the co-founder. As an entrepreneur I assessed the need for this type of education in the market and saw potential for it. We started in one small classroom in the living room with five students and grew and improved as our school grew too.”
She says due diligence is important but the word can sound intimidating. “I’d say for entrepreneurs on the continent, once you meet the basic requirements to start just start. Hit the nail and if you miss the head, straighten it later. Adapt to the changes and be flexible with your business to ensure it grows. Create systems as you go along and get more resources.”
Over the last 10 years Reekworth has educated and impacted more than 2000 students from nursery up until Ordinary level. Their students have broken many records including representing Zimbabwe at University Level Global Chinese competitions.
They are passionate and driven to succeed because their motivation comes intrinsically from a deep place where passion meets talent. With just 48 members of staff, and affiliated with many educational organizations around the world, their intention is to expand the educational footprint in each region in Africa.
Online Reporter