By G. Asege
Kampala-Uganda
This year’s Uganda’s Junior Achievers Awards will see a total of eight secondary schools competing in the Grand National competitions.
The highly anticipated event is set to take place on June 27, 2024, in Kampala. The winning school will have the honor of representing Uganda in the Global Stage.
The first phase of the competitions involved 30 schools from the Kampala Metropolitan area and Masaka.
These schools were given the task of developing and presenting their projects with company identities, which ideas can be transformed into tangible solutions for starting their own companies.
With the theme “Greenovation,” students from various schools showcased their innovative ideas focused on environmental sustainability, conservation, and addressing climate change.
Out of the 30 schools, only eight were chosen to pitch their projects during the national competitions, which will be held on June 27th, 2024, in Kampala.
The school with the best project will have the opportunity to represent Uganda at the international level.
Some of the chosen projects and companies showcased were: the Eco Dynamic JA Company from Sacred Hearts secondary school, which concentrated on creating mechanical generators and electrical turbines to improve electricity generation methods while preserving the environment.
Bright Ideas Company from Buddu Mixed School specialized in producing solar cookers and solar consecrators for cooking and lighting in kitchens to promote eco-friendly cooking solutions for the environment.
Destiny JA Company focused on creating boats, pavers, and ventilators from plastics and aluminum tiles to reduce plastic waste in the country.
Dynamic Robotic focuses on generating relevant data and integrate it to provide comprehensive information to the government for better responses in combating climate change. Other companies included Natty Crochets JA Company, Joel Briquettes JA Company, Go Green Company, Pearl of Joy Company, and Solar Food Dryer, among others.
Patience Alaso, the program trainee for Junior Achievers Uganda, mentioned that they aim to inspire and prepare young people for success in the global economy.
“Our target audience is the youth, with a goal of reaching 1500 young individuals,” Alaso stated.
She explained that during the selection process for the national competition, the youth were guided through the process of ideation, understanding business models by identifying problems and creating solutions.
Nancy Muttu, the Business Development and Fundraising Personnel Young Achievers, encouraged those who did not make it to the top to work on their weaknesses and prepare for future opportunities.
She emphasized the importance of focusing on the theme while presenting, as it could lead to success in the international competition.