Proposed Activities of the University of Zimbabwe E-Club

PROPOSED OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE UZ E-CLUB

Background
The importance of entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to economic development is unmistakable especially with the proliferation of Small and Medium Enterprises all around the world. Research in the E.U. and the U.S. in the past few years has confirmed that the future of the world’s economy might lie in SME as an alternative to the growing discontent with Transnational Corporations. Frequent global financial and economic problems as well as environmental challenges associated with TNCs are challenging the efficacy of this developmental route in favor of SME. It is also recognized that all TNCs were a product of some form of entrepreneurial venture although such teaching has not received enough attention until recently. Thus both the E.U. and U.S. are currently in the process of drafting their comprehensive entrepreneur education advocacy and support policies that are meant to encourage, and support the birth and growth of entrepreneurial ventures. What is surprising is that we Third World countries who need development the most seem to be lagging behind in terms of supporting entrepreneurial activities especially among young people particularly at universities and colleges. The inevitable result is that the most brilliant of our young people find themselves in a shrinking local and international job market and the best they can hope for is to be underemployed in more developed countries in the region and abroad. This trend is not encouraging and it is partially behind this background that the formation of this club is motivated.

The establishment of the Young Entrepreneurs Club and other Entrepreneurship oriented organizations targeting young people is expected to foster the participation of young people in business. Zimbabwe unlike most western countries is a gerentocratic society that sees young people as indulgent, unorganized and lacking in financial discipline hence parents and investors do not take young people’s business attempts seriously. This Club will seek to rectify this stereotyping in two ways i.e. equipping young people with entrepreneurship and business knowledge as well as changing the negative perception of society about young through successful ventures and entrepreneurial success stories.

Another very important area and issue that this club will try to mitigate is the creation of a working relationship between the private sector/business community and universities (in this case through the club) that can help technology transfer and business partnerships through venture capital or any other kind of partnerships. This is mainly expected to benefit SME by giving them a chance to engage young innovative minds in designing, implementing or transferring of modern technology that will make business competitively viable in the global village.

However the most important motivation behind the establishment of this club is the realization that a good number of students tend to have promising projects in their minds especially during college days that seem to die a natural death on graduation day. Thus the club shall strive to create an enabling environment for the realization of these dreams, visions, and goals during and after college years. Research seems to show that the major drawbacks on the entrepreneurial journey are fear of failure, lack of appropriate business knowledge and lack of start up capital. Thus the E-Club will strive to create a conducive environment for risk taking, capital support and business consultancy aimed to make students and young people’s entrepreneurial flight a successful one. This is a place where failure is not a disgrace but a learning experience, where the downhearted are given new hope while the discouraged are given encouragement. It is a place of dreams, aspirations and visions. It is a chamber of business incubation.


The major objectives and strategies of the UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE Young Entrepreneurs Club shall include but not be limited to the following - :
• Break young people especially students from the mentality of employeeship into the mentality of entrepreneurship/business culture.
• Cultivation of a culture of innovativeness, creativity and invention as engines of entrepreneurship.
• Encourage positive thinking and establish it a backbone of most success stories.
• Nurture and groom young leaders through mentorship, training and apprenticeship.
• Expand young people’s horizons and expose them to the world of wealthy, success, technology, and all kinds of possibilities.
• Offer consultancy for young people’s business endeavors, opportunities, start up strategies, capital options, marketing, management skills etc.
• Gender resocialisation towards the creation of industrious, innovative, assertive, creative and business minded young women.
• Exploring and forging working partnerships, relationships and formal skills and technology exchange programmes with other such minded clubs and organizations around the world.
• Act as agents of corporate world universities research partnerships and technology transfer.
• Partner with other stakeholders for a nationwide capacity building agenda targeting young vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
• Establish a grants scheme and management consultancy for winning projects that have business eligibility.
• Host and maintain a vibrant web site, e-discussion forum, online news latter, and social network dedicated to the purposes of the Club.
• Establish and publish a Magazine meant to address the business needs of young people.
• Advocacy for education curriculum that include entrepreneurial skills development.
• Host T.V. and radio shows meant to champion the cause of the Club.
• Forge relationships with relevant government departments to facilitate the involvement and contribution of young people in national development agenda.
• Holding of annual Business Plan Competitions whose winners shall be helped to acquire start up capital through partnerships, Venture Capital, grants etc


STRATEGY
The focus of our strategy shall be on assigning roles and expecting people to deliver within stipulated time.
Members are expected to realize that their benefit from club activities is sorely based on their level of participation hence the need to take a proactive role.
While every attempt shall be made to ensure that every member gets maximum benefit through various programmes and activities such as coaching clinics, seminars and competitions, the ultimate gain depends on the individual member’s willingness and preparedness to pursue the advice and teachings into meaningful actions.

It is our sincere hope and prayer that we will be able to acquire as much academic, government and corporate support that we so need for the realization of our dream.

Club President – Tafadzwa