Students from Ruhanga College emerged winners in the highly competitive National Student Business Club Competition, an annual event organized by Educate! in partnership with the Rwanda Education Board (REB).
Educate!, a non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship among students, has been actively providing mentorship, resources, and guidance to nurture the next generation of business leaders since 2016.
The competition showcased carefully crafted business plans and prototypes from participating clubs representing their respective educational institutions. The club winners from Ngororero district, among the exhibitors from 18 districts, presented a diverse range of business ideas, reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit fostered by Educate! to address pressing global challenges.
Herve Mihigo, representing the winning club, introduced their unique product--a prototype water pump that utilizes wind instead of fuel for irrigation. He explained that the idea stemmed from the nature of the area where they live.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide water pumps to communities in need to combat malnutrition and stunting among young children on a large scale," Mihigo said.
Harriet Nansikombi, a mentor from Nyamirama High School, recognized among the top five participating clubs, emphasized the importance of "Back home projects" as a means for students to apply their skills and knowledge gained at school. She encouraged all schools to participate in such initiatives to keep the spirit of entrepreneurship alive among the nation's youth.
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Patrick Niyigena, a specialist in charge of youth, entrepreneurship, innovation, and child development in the Ministry of Youth, commended the initiative and expressed the institution's support for projects under operation. He highlighted that the government prioritizes supporting young entrepreneurs who can solve community problems on a large scale.
Educate Country Director, Patrick Rogers Kamugisha, urged students and schools to organize school-level exhibitions where parents and community stakeholders can witness the students' accomplishments resulting from club activities.
The selection of Students Business Clubs was based on criteria such as team and gender equity, planning, financial records, innovation, sustainability, and impact. These clubs actively apply the skills from the competence-based curriculum, a significant reform introduced by REB to move away from a knowledge-based curriculum.
Now in its third year, the annual competition has become a significant platform for budding entrepreneurs to showcase their business acumen and transform their ideas into reality.
