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Oended on a very high note on the youth empowerment front as various schools displayed their creative business ideas at a National Expo, igniting faith that Eswatini’s future is in good hands.
Our economy may not be where we want it to be as a country, just as globally the challenges exist, but it is comforting that the youth, which is tasked with ensuring that the future is bright is already paving for an economically firm country.
Most encouraging is that innovation and creativity are at the forefront of the surge of development. Note creativity and innovation may sound the same but they are not the same. A definition I liked though is that innovation is the process of turning a new concept into commercial success or widespread use. Hence we say youth must be innovative in business. While creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. And to throw another word in there ‘invention’. Invention is the creation of a new idea or concept. All three words and elements were present though at this Company of the Year Competition, also dubbed a National Expo. All the products had an element of technology in them from chips to help trace stolen cattle to online rental platforms as well as digital health prescriptions. Yes, all from teenagers under the age of 18 and most of their products are already being sold. With the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards not being held this
CCTOBER HEERS 5858 JA Company of the year Sifundzani High School students explaining to one of the judges their winning product of a power saver.
year, this event provided the next best thing to give us a feel of just what our entrepreneurship mindset or level is at in 2022 as a country albeit at the youth level.
to the new week, new month and to more possibilities of brand new beginnings. Biggest congratulations to all those who made it to the end of last month October’s Ocsober Challenge. This new month November also has a number of interesting challenges that include the ‘Movember’ and the ‘No Nut November’ challenges which I hope to get more into detail in next weekend’s piece.
This week I would like to first thank all the loyal readers and family friends (not fans) of this specific section who took time to nominate us for the 2022 Swazi Fest Writer’s Awards under the Favourite Newspaper Columnist category. Your acknowledgement is well received and greatly appreciated. For those who would like to continue participating in the voting process, the full code is SFWA and it can be sent via SMS to on both local mobile networks.
Secondly, please allow me to extend and express my sincerest gratitude for the weekly comments/feedback and extended in-depth discussions (via the email address at the end of each article piece as well as on my social medial pages) based
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The brilliance in the products displayed in the first in-person Junior Achievement Eswatini Company of the Year competition since COVID-19 lockdowns proved that our youth is definitely one to be reckoned with in business. Funders actually must go onto the JA page and start looking for potential companies to support there. These young people will be the next occupants of the malls and business centres we shall have in the future.
The competitions started with regional eliminations, in which I happened to be part of the judging panel for three regions, six schools eventually made it to the finals. It was an honour to have input into selecting the best products, businesses and presentations from all corners of the country. Believe me that nothing is as fulfilling as witnessing the immense talent and passion of future generations. It is still baffling that young people do not get as much funding as they should for their businesses. They are the catalysts for the economic prosperity of this nation and the world.
The high school students, in Form IV, demonstrated their business acumen and spirit of entrepreneurship in a competitive environment while engaging businesses, education, and policy leaders, as well as the media with their presentations. And these were well-designed presentations and superbly articulated.
This year’s competition was themed: ‘Fuelling Changemakers’, which was all about encouraging a bid to become a catalyst for young people to discover Africa’s greatest challenges, and develop solutions using their creative business ideas. The pupils presented innovative business ideas in the areas of on the different topical issues dissected in this section. Your contributions definitely do not go unnoticed and unappreciated even though sometimes one gets to respond after a while due a busy schedule versus the large numbers.
Anyway, after last weekend’s topic on marriage (and divorce) there was this one specific response story that deeply touched me and left me feeling like I would not be doing justice if I never shared it. It goes as follows:
First I must say that I am married and have been for 24 months now. I think it’s also important to mention that I have had a hard life growing up. I started working when I was 13 just to help feed my family. I lost my mother at a young age and moved to my grandma’s place which living there for youth empowerment. It felt like wishful thinking at the time because nothing happened immediately but seeing the vast number of sponsors for many categories for this year’s competition, showed that many companies have taken it upon themselves to add youth to their corporate social responsibility agenda.
Guest speaker at the finals event was Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo represented by Minister of Economic Planning and Development Dr Tambo Gina as Acting Commerce Minister. He said it was the government’s mandate to ensure that youth participation in economic recovery in the country is prioritised. This was also in line with the speech from the throne where His Majesty King Mswati III called on the nation to create a conducive environment for the innovation of the youth to flourish.
Dr Gina also noted that JA Eswatini has been seen playing a huge role in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness empowerment. He said this kind of education was the one that will enforce a sustained economic recovery for the country and the continent These are just a few of the at large. prizes as corporates also came “There is no better time to through to support, with MTN train young people, especially Eswatini for example awarding adolescents on leadership skills the best CEO with a cellphone and success. The instilling of and a tablet. A CEO must be able this knowledge at a younger to communicate and plan with age will ensure that we have the latest gadgets. Once again great leaders in future who will MTN Eswatini came through for lead with power and integrity,” the youth. Earlier this year they he was quoted as saying by JA supported the youth through a Eswatini. These words really business competition dubbed do give hope. But what gives ‘Dragons Den’ and awarded 10 even more hope is the tangible young companies E10 000 each. support for the youth that we This was part of the 21 Days of are seeing in the country these Y’ello Care. Imagine if every days. To see representatives of corporate chipped in for youth the Municipal Council of Mbabane initiatives. at the event cheering on
This country would have a lot Sifundzani High School is proof of youth enterprises and the that they also value the youth as future of this country would be a valuable part of the city. May on a solid foundation. As earlier this great spirit of support of pleaded in a letter to the young people and fuelling their youth minister on this page in dreams, continue for infinity February, I urged that policies years. After all, the present and be drafted to ensure that every future of the country are the company at least has a budget youth. he was envisioning a party den for him and his friends.
Clash number two. With (3) I knew when I got married that my current friends then could not remain close friend, because I had taken a different path.
I minimised contact to simply catching up and made it clear my marriage would never at any point be up for discussion but my dear hubby did not. He discussed our marriage dynamic to his friends which I forgot to mention is unorthodox. Oh I should also mention that none of his friends are married or in a stable relationship. Quickly his friends became the third people in our marriage.
They told what a ‘good’ wife should be (not have an opinion) and do (cook, clean, wash and take care of the kids). This changed our marriage dynamic when he started not playing his part in ensuring that our home was clean, there was food and kids were fine. Clash number 3. And the all night to all weekend partying began.
When I asked he said ‘a good wife does not ask where her husband was and she doesn’t try to control him’. I laughed and laughed and laughed, because I knew that was not him talking but his friends. So yeah the coming together of two people to live and build a home together is not an easy task.
In conclusion, I hope the above not only gave different perspective but also served as a lesson or inspiration for whoever needed to hear such. agribusiness, water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), renewable energy, and health technology among others.
Eventually, as you may have read in the papers, Sifundzani High School came first with a ‘Time Out’ power saver monitor, which essentially regulates electrical consumption in a household. They won a cash prize of E10 000 and will be representing Eswatini at the Africa competitions in December in Nigeria. I was also at the finals interestingly now wearing another hat as a programme director. Where the youth is, it is always my pleasure to also serve. In second place came Ekukhanyeni High School with a water pump business. They make water pumps from a closed PVC pipe, pipe reducers and check valves and won a cash prize of E2 000. Third place went to Hlathikhulu Central High School, with a solar water purifier and won E1 500.
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was not a walk in the park.
I fought hard to get my education and harder to overcome a lot to get my degree and a decent job. In short life has not been sweet to me, but I still survived. And then I got married to someone who accepted my flaws and all (which was refreshing). But within these 24 months of marriage I can definitely say, ‘THIS IS THE HARDEST BATTLE’ of my life. Why? You ask. My answer to that is specific to my marriage. I have three answers (1) letting other people define what your marriage should be and (2) expectations (3) friends. With the (1) never allow people whether married or not define your marriage. This because no matter how many marriage experts and counselor there can be, there is no manual for married life. Choose your own path as a couple and define and redefine your marriage as necessary as possible. This was the mistake we are still trying to overcome in my marriage. I’m over listening to third party opinions but my husband is not as of yet. Regarding (2) this is in reference to expecting who should do what in the marriage. I went in expecting that we will leaving a quiet, and settled life and be happy with that. I think my husband expected that I would still be going partying and clubbing like we did during dating.
That was the clash. When we started building our home I thought we had the same vision based from our discussions that is to establish a calm and respectable home. My husband forgot to mention that