Following a three month entrepreneurship training program, MTN Uganda in collaboration with Makerere University Business School (MUBS), announced the overall winners in the Nsindika Njake ne MTN TV entrepreneurship series.
Jovan Kagenzi scooped the grand cash prize of Shs 60 million set to push his cook-stove business to the next level, backed by the cutting-edge business skills he has acquired from the 3 months-long training.
Kagezi invented a charcoal stove connected to a chimney and a biogas source providing clean cooking energy to the end-users.
Kagezi’s business also makes charcoal briquettes at affordable prices, targeting households, schools, restaurants and hotels.
Joy and excitement overwhelmed the families and friends of Kagezi.
The overwhelmed Kagezi walked to the stage with a jubilant team clapping for his achievement.
While giving a vote of thanks, Kagezi knelt down and joyfully thanked MTN, judges, and partners for finding him appropriate to handle the Shs 60 million.
“Thank you everyone for considering my hustles and filling huge gaps in my business with skills and financial support,” said Kagezi and he accompanied it with a praise song,” Kagezi said.
David Kasaali, the first runner up who won Shs 20 million, thanked MTN and all the partners who have made this project a success.
The youthful proprietor promised to invest the cash in his company dubbed Psalms: 4, which deals in processing and packaging groundnuts.
Shakirah Nassejje emerged as the second runner-up and won a 10 million which she said she will invest in her craft-making business.
In third and fourth place was Joseph Kwesiga, who also doubled as the people’s choice award winner walked away with a total of Shs 10 million: Shs 5 million being the Nsidika Njake cash prize and Shs 5 million for being the participant of choice for the public. He said he will use his cash prize to bolster his juice-making business.
To ensure proper management of the finances, the cash prize will be dispatched to winners in 4 instalments over a 1year period, upon the completion of key business milestones.
The main aim of the show was to inspire and stimulate entrepreneurship insight among the youth as one of the ways to lessen the high youth unemployment rates that are prevalent in the country. Youth unemployment in Uganda stills stands at between 64% and 70%, with up to 400,000 young people entering the job market annually for a mere 9,000 jobs.
While addressing the media at the grand closure of the Nsindika Njake show, held in Naguru, Somdev Sen, the MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer congratulated the winners and said that the show has gone a long way in addressing the unemployment issue that the youth are currently facing.
“While we worked with only 24 youths on this show, we believe that this show, that was televised for the entire public has taught very many people how to navigate the day-to-day challenges faced in businesses and has now set them on a path to becoming better entrepreneurs,” said Somdev.
