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Sifelani Tsiko Agric, Environment & Innovations Editor
The Green enterPRIZE Innovation and Development Programme held recently in the capital for the northern region contestants are unique in a big way in that they help to highlight the promising innovative talent that we have as a country.
Most of our most talented and innovative entrepreneurs go unnoticed and unrecognised, without any celebration and honour until they are snatched before our eyes by other developed countries.
The Simuka-Phakama 2019 Green enterPRIZE Innovation Challenge awards was an exceptional and inspiring example of how rewarding local talent can improve the survival and performance of locally-driven enterprises that contribute to fighting poverty and tackling climate change in their communities and countries.
Now in its second year, the awards programme is an exciting initiative implemented by the International Labour Organisation in collaboration with the Government, the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, with support from the government of Sweden.
Broadly, this initiative seeks to address high levels of youth unemployment, low levels of formal and growth-oriented enterprises and unsustainable production processes of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by tapping the potential of the green economy in Zimbabwe.
In many ways, the awards inspire and encourage young people, women, people living with disabilities and the disadvantaged discover, explore and invent ways to improve the country’s greening efforts.
A total of 450 people entered the 2019 competition principle and 80 finalists participated in nine different categories of the challenge.
The 80 finalists were supported through the Green enterPRIZE Innovation and Development Programme to refine their business models and optimise their impacts while advancing their investment readiness.
In the end, they were 27 winners in nine different categories who won prizes for coming up with innovative ideas that makes the way we live greener and our environmental footprint lighter.
The purpose of the Green enterPRIZE Innovation Challenge is to create a platform for green enterprise development and eco-innovation to thrive Zimbabwe by empowering the citizens and businesses, particularly the youth and women, to become drivers of green and decent jobs creation.
“By facilitating their access to a tailored business development programme, supported by strategic alliances with business development service providers and financial institutions, targeted emerging and established SMEs will expand their provision of green products and services and, as a long-term result, increase their business viability and contribute to the creation of green and decent jobs,” the organisers of the awards say.
This team of 27 outstanding young green innovators took home US$5 000 for the first prize, US$2 500 first runner and US$2 000 for the second runner.
The winners will also be fully sponsored with financial support to eco-innovation and access to business development services that can help the entrepreneurs gain the skills and knowledge to run their businesses more effectively.
“Furthermore, the Simuka-Phakama Innovation Challenge has given us the opportunity to identify at least other 500 small business initiatives or ideas across the countries to whom, we can expand our interventions in the future,” said Hopolang Phororo, ILO Country Office director for Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“Considering that SMEs employ more than 95% of the world’s working population, this is a potential engine for growth that the country could build on in the transition to a more productive, job-rich and sustainable economy.”
Phororo said the ILO intended to secure more partnerships for the project to influence the future of work in Zimbabwe by addressing both the demand and supply of skills for a green economy.
This, she says, will contribute towards the country’s progress in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring inclusive growth through job creation.
“Sustainable growth requires a functional private sector that ensures the growth of enterprises, particularly in new growth sectors encompassing the green economy,” the ILO official said.
“Jobs are the most sustainable way to ending poverty and inequality. As such, deliberate measures are needed to expand opportunities for young people and enterprises in the form and manner of employment creation policies and measures. This is what the ILO has committed to support through the Decent Work Country Programme for Zimbabwe.”
The 27 winners delivered an array of grassroots products and services which benefited not only the environment but also local economies and particular groups such as women and youth.
Their unique innovation contributing to the resilience of communities help to spur a fundamental shift towards a more inclusive green economy and the attainment of SDGs.
The awards recognised 27 innovative start-up enterprises in sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, waste, renewable energy, water and sanitation, crafts and arts, biodiversity and conservation.
Tafadzwa Mutsau, an entrepreneur from Goromonzi, won the best growth oriented business award for utilising tyre waste into the making of products such as chairs, ottomans, tables and flowerpots that are on our patio and garden.
Forget Shareka, a 26 year old Harare entrepreneur scooped the Young Entrepreneur award through her Chashi Foods (Pvt) Ltd, which produces natural, highly nutritious and tasty dried fruits and vegetables using renewable energy.
Rudo Orpah won an award for her business project called ‘Waste To Fashion’ in which she collects various types of fabric offcuts, scrap waste and turns it into fashionable pieces of clothes, decor and artefacts.
Rose Chimuseve of Chinhoyi won an award for her small business which uses old cassettes, ribbons and plastic papers to produce desirable and valuable goods different from others such as sun hats, handbags, key holders, beads and jewelleries.
Tinashe Sithole, a 29-year-old entrepreneur won the award for the most innovative entrepreneur by introducing a hand-powered baler to produce livestock feed for A1 & A2 farmers in Manicaland.
The baler that is now selling at USD $150 is manually operated removing the need for diesel-powered motorised balers.
Widespread use of the baler is also expected to have a positive environmental impact through reducing biomass (grass) susceptible to burning.
Josphat Nyika of Bindura won the Judge’s Award for his company that produces organic stock feed for poultry fish and pigs from black soldier fly larva.
It collects organic biodegradable waste which is used as feed for the black soldier fly larva, by so doing amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the environment is reduced.
On the other hand, the black soldier fly larva is harvested, dried and processed into stock feed for poultry, fish and pigs.
Innovation on the green economy front is crucial to support the necessary systemic change to deliver on the SDGs.
Apart from this, innovation and new ways of thinking that question traditional models are essential elements of the transition to the green economy.
By nurturing innovation for a greener, healthier, more sustainable environment, everyone wins as our country moves to attain its SDGs.
And there is no doubt that the Green enterPRIZE Innovation Challenge is helping to produce pioneering entrepreneur projects that show new ways to drive our green economy thinking forward, to ensure a better and greener future.
“Green enterprise development programmes assist SMEs to shift from using environmentally unfriendly business and production processes to adopting new eco-friendly and sustainable business and production processes and systems,” said Small and Medium Enterprises Development permanent secretary Melusi Matshiya.
“They not only enhance business and sustainable systems for existing firms but immensely create a breeding ground for green jobs for the youth, women and the physically challenged by undertaking start-ups in the areas of waste collection, retailing and recycling, renewable energy, agriculture and agro-business.”
Online Reporter
Charles Duri