During July, Strate CEO Monica Singer was one of the judges of the 2014 Enactus SA National Competition at the Sandton Convention Centre, which was attended by over 1000 students and business leaders. Enactus is a non-profit organisation bringing together student, academics & business leaders committed to using entrepreneurial action to improve lives.
“The message of empowerment through community outreach projects is a great one for all the people of South Africa. It is with these investments in building our community, promoting entrepreneurship and uplifting skills that we create ripples of positive change in our society. We all want a brighter future and a better South Africa. It is through powerful initiatives, such as that of all the competing teams in the Enactus Competition, that we are building a nation that can successfully and sustainably contribute to the economy and provide for their families,” says Singer.
The Enactus University of Fort Hare Team was crowned as National Champions after presenting two of five of their outreach projects executed during this academic year. In rural settlements around Alice in the Eastern Cape, the team developed a biomass plant and biogas digester as a cleaner source of energy, as opposed to traditional fossil fuels, and helped equip 16 villagers from the Melani and Fort Cox communities with the knowledge and skills to construct and operate the biomass plant. Through this, energy is generated to service the community bakery in Melani, which now sells 2 600 loaves on average per week.
In Fort Cox, the biogas system supplies a community kitchen with energy to prepare an average of 200 fast food meals per week. Through the Khanyisa Project, a fresh and dried processed vegetables and soups venture, the team created 22 jobs for the residents of Alice. Both the fresh and dried processed vegetables are packaged and sold. The drying process is powered by solar panels ensuring that the agro-processing remains carbon neutral. The nutritious Sishebo soup from the dried vegetables is utilized by the High School feeding program in the Eastern Cape. The Khanyisa Vegetable Juice has been successfully marketed and introduced to schools, clinics, hospitals and major supermarkets in Alice.
“We wish The Enactus University of Fort Hare Team the best of luck, as they will represent South Africa at the 2014 Enactus World Cup in Beijing, China, where they will compete against winning teams from 35 countries,” concludes Singer.
For more information, visit: https://www.enactusza.org.
