“My vision is to see an Africa that is free from poverty.
This can only be achieved if we, as business people, take the front role in
empowering our people.”
This is the view of Farai Munjoma, the 19-year-old social
entrepreneur behind a new e-learning platform in Zimbabwe, called Shasha
Iseminar. The site offers A-level high school students in the country a free,
online library of course and study notes, past exams, as well as career
guidance.
Munjoma’s inspiration behind starting the platform came
while at boarding school in Nyanga, in eastern Zimbabwe. He had a great history
teacher who had been working at the school for the past 30 years, but Munjoma
worried about him retiring.
“I wondered how, after he left, we could access the
information he taught us, and also the way he taught it,” he explained.
Many professionals, including teachers, left the country
around 2008 when Zimbabwe experienced one of the worst cases of hyper-inflation
in world history that saw food prices double on a daily basis. While Munjoma
noted the economy has since stabilised with the adoption of the US dollar, the
country’s brain-drain of teachers is still being felt.
“We as students suffered a lot in that period, and as we
continuously changed ministries and ministers, the curriculum changed with
them. It was very difficult to adjust,” he recalled.
“In 2011 the pass rate was down and that was also a turning
point for me. I thought if we can’t have teachers because they are running away
from this country, then why not use the internet to replace them?”
At age 17, and with the help of a co-founder, Munjoma
started compiling A-level course content, study notes and test questions and
putting it online. All content was first approved by teachers and course
examiners.
He decided to make it a free service to reduce the financial
barrier to information that the high cost of good textbooks had created for
many underprivileged students. It draws revenue from selling advertising space
to companies and organisations looking to specifically target Zimbabwean
students, and a portion of these profits have gone towards paying the school
fees of underprivileged students.
Munjoma’s efforts caught the attention of the Anzisha Prize,
Africa’s premier award for its youngest entrepreneurs, and last year he was
named one of its 12 finalists. Soon after, he applied to study at the
prestigious African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, and received a Global
Merit scholarship to be a catalyst student. He will be graduating in June.
“The Anzisha Prize has opened doors to many opportunities,”
said Munjoma.
“It has helped give me enough publicity to be able to reach
out to my desired customers and other thought leaders. The opportunity to be a
catalyst student at the African Leadership Academy has allowed me to build a
bigger network to expand and develop my venture. And I am also currently
completing an Anzisha course, which is helping to expand my business
perspective and allow me to develop soft skills that I require as a growing
entrepreneur.”
He believes the Anzisha Prize liked his application because
he invested adequate time in providing enough detail about his venture, and was
honest and realistic about communicating his vision.
“My advice to those applying this year is believe in
yourself because that will go a long way in determining how far you go in
qualifying. The most important thing is to realise that by applying
for the Anzisha Prize, you have not just applied for a competition,
but a lifelong dedication to bring positive impact to the continent.”
Munjoma has big plans for Shasha Iseminar and sees room to
expand his service to neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Mozambique and
Zambia. However, he first wants to be well established in Zimbabwe.
One of the major challenges his company is facing is
acquiring the right technology and skills needed to implement many of his
ideas. For example, he has a vision to implement web seminars where students
can access virtual classrooms online and digitally interact with other teachers
and students in real-time.
“It would be like social media for e-learning. We started to
add a web seminar section to our site where students can just go online and
watch a live seminar that is happening in another school, but we need the
high-tech skills to make sure that we could take the project to this next
stage. Africa is still adjusting to internet technology and its speed is not as
fast as it is in the West,” he noted.
“It is also a challenge to make sure that teachers, students
and parents are on board and actually understand that we are moving towards a
more digital information age and need to shift from the traditional way of
learning.”
Munjoma was first exposed to entrepreneurship while growing
up on his parent’s farm in the agricultural town, Norton. At age 11 he would
sell tomatoes and cucumbers and learnt how to compete in a market place. But
most importantly, he discovered he loved the challenge of entrepreneurship.
His advice to other African entrepreneurs is to collaborate
as much as possible with others, be prepared to face obstacles, let their
passion drive them, and focus more on having an impact than making money.
“And when you have a good idea and that burning desire
within to bring change, do not have anyone tell you that you can’t do it – or
let any situation stop you from achieving your dream. Because the first thing
you will face will be challenges,” he emphasised.
“As I was coming up with this project I had people try
discouraging me. But the number one rule is not to think too much – just do it.
As you go through your journey it will make more sense to other people.”
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