Students participating in the ongoing Wavumbuzi Entrepreneurship Challenge have welcomed the program to equip them with entrepreneurial skills and prepare them to join the workforce and think innovatively.
The competition is organized by Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy (AGGP).
The Wavumbuzi Entrepreneurship Challenge focuses on developing five entrepreneurial mindsets – drive, resilience, self-efficacy, initiative, and innovative thinking – and is a free 6-week online gamified learning program.
The content is delivered to upper secondary school students and features approximately 36 micro-challenges. The weekly challenges, aimed at creating an unforgettable experience that is both practical and relevant in real-world scenarios, will be announced to participants every week.
The challenge started last month and is now approaching the third week. According to the participating students, the program was beneficial.
“Wavumbuzi unlocks my potential and equips me with the knowledge and skills to fulfill my great desire to become one of the best entrepreneurs in this country,” said Audrey, a six-year-old student at Riviera High School.
David Rwaje, another six-year-old student from Kagarama Secondary School, also welcomed the program. “The Wavumbuzi Entrepreneurship Challenge helps us understand the ability to participate in the skills required to positively refine the entrepreneurial world,” he explained.
The same view is shared by teachers who contribute to the program.
“Wavumbuzi is a great opportunity and platform for me as a teacher and especially for my students,” said Denis Muhumuza, economics teacher.
He added, “It will improve their critical thinking skills about entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity, and prepare them for the challenges of time in business and avail themselves of possible solutions.”
Another teacher, Jean-Claude Nzayisenga, also underlined that the program “transforms teachers into open-minded trainers to train students ready to cope with the challenging corporate world”.
In the first week, 2900 students, 508 teachers and 250 schools registered for the challenge.
A look at what was covered in weeks one and two
The theme of the first week emphasized how the world is constantly changing, while the second week sought to develop a deeper understanding of how to fit into a changing society.
During the first and second week of the Wavumbuzi Challenge, the organizers saw a large number of teachers and students.
“We’re happy to see an average of 300 daily challenge submissions from students in the first two weeks, and we continue to encourage them to peer review their challenge while teachers can moderate the students’ work,” the organizers said in a statement .
“There are points to be awarded for students who submit their challenges and teachers who moderate them,” he adds.
During the challenge, high performing students, supportive teachers, and schools will be rewarded with weekly prizes. In addition, a selection of grand prizes, mainly electronic equipment, will be offered to the best artists on March 31st.
The organizers highlighted what to expect in the coming weeks and mentioned that they will expand the first themes, with an emphasis on overcoming obstacles and developing an unstoppable resilience and pursuit of success.
Overcoming the challenge with limited digital resources
Given that the competition is online, there have been concerns about limited digital resources and the impact of Covid-19 on schools, teachers and students, among others.
However, most schools and teachers have managed to overcome them.
“Schools managed to get students involved in the challenge by advocating more data, opening computer labs and giving their students more time over the weekend,” the organizers said.
“Some teachers have helped students after school and shared their PCs and smartphones with students to help them submit their challenges online under their supervision,” the statement added.
Wavumbuzi is into its fourth week, with this week’s topic focusing on problem solving. Students and teachers are also looking forward to an upcoming pitch competition showing what they have learned over the past few weeks.
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