Mudimeli pupils and teacher win R100 000

The Mudimeli Secondary School was crowned the winner of the 2019 Eskom Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education Competition during a ceremony that was held at Indaba Hotel in Fourways in Johannesburg last Tuesday.

The school won a R100 000 cash prize, a trophy and a certificate on the national level. Lebowakgomo's Mahlasedi Secondary School was named provincial winner and was awarded R50 000, while Taxilla High School in Polokwane was first runner-up with a R25 000 cash prize, and Patrick Ramaano Secondary School was second runner-up with R10 000.

Mr Alfred Mafukaduvha of the Young Enterprise Society (YES) of Mudimeli Secondary School was lauded for having put together and guiding a winning team comprising 60 pupils from his school. He was also awarded the 2019 Simama Ranta's Most Inspiring Entrepreneur Teacher and was given a brand-new laptop to the value R18 000, a certificate and a trophy.

“We had participated in this programme since 2011, where we won on the provincial level in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018,” Mafukaduvha said. “We had all along wished to win and get crowned national winners. We knew our time was coming.”

The purpose of the YES programme is to prepare the pupils for becoming future job creators instead of job seekers. “We have noted the high rate of unemployment in our area and country, and so we want our learners to start businesses in our area, so that they can employ others and help uplift our rural communities.”

Mudimeli Secondary School had submitted a proof-of-evidence file that comprised the YES Club's business plans, track record of yearly projects, and other related information. As part of the competition, two pupils representing the YES Club, Vision Ramovha and Lawrence Phunyugu, had presented the club's business plans on 29 August in Randburg.

“Three months after the presentation circle, we were announced as the overall national winners,” Mafukaduvha said.

The Eskom Simama Ranta Entrepreneurship Education competition is run in collaboration with the Enterprise With Education Trust (EWET). The competition is aimed at identifying, celebrating and rewarding schools that are successfully implementing entrepreneurship education for their learners. Eskom seeks to empower young people and give them the skills to be able to create a better future for themselves.

News - Date: 14 December 2019

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]