Kiterede’s Sacred Hearts SS, scoops UGX 1m prize in Boeing’s and Junior Achievement Africa business competition

July 1, 2024 in Business, Companies, Trade & Industry by Editor

Masaka-based Sacred Hearts Secondary School in Kiterede, is the winner of the grand prize in the inaugural Junior Achievement Africa Uganda Company of the Year national competition.  Sacred Hearts SS beat off competition from ten schools in the entrepreneurship challenge that is jointly sponsored by global aerospace giant Boeing and Junior Achievement Africa.

Junior Achievement Africa and Boeing are working in a partnership to provide entrepreneurship education to 1,500 high school students in Uganda this year, through the JA Company Program®.  Fir the first time, the competition included learning opportunities that aim to promote environmental stewardship and resource conservation as part of the program. Eleven student teams from nine schools presented their sustainable business solutions at the JA Uganda Company of the Year national competition in Kampala, on June 27.

Eco Dynamics JA Company, a startup by Sacred Hearts SS, will represent Uganda at the JA Africa Regional Company of the Year competition in Mauritius from December 4-6, 2024. Their enterprise specializes in innovative eco-friendly products and services, generating renewable electricity to reduce carbon emissions and radiation, fostering a sustainable future and economic growth.

“We are delighted to extend our existing partnership with Junior Achievement Africa to Uganda. By nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset early on, we empower students to become proactive contributors to the economy and society, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The environmental and social aspect of the program helps the youth with integrating sustainable practices from the get-go,” said Kuljit Ghata-Aura, Boeing president for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, and Central Asia.

Officials reveraled tha the JA Company Program® has been a catalyst for entrepreneurial growth in Uganda since 2008, with 70pc of participants establishing their own ventures. Notable alumni include Andrew Mupuya, Founder of Youth Entrepreneurial Link Investments (YELI); Solomon Odongo, Founder of 1MillionYouth Uganda; Belinda Esaete, Founder at Beldeluxe Sleepwear; Boris Mugisha Nahabwe, Founder at Tubaayo Market Place; and Don Bujjingo, Managing Director at Aloesha Organics.

JA Africa and Boeing have been partners since 2021, delivering hands-on, immersive community programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, and now Uganda. Simi Nwogugu, president and CEO of Junior Achievement Africa, said: “Our joint initiative with Boeing ‘Our Future – Tomorrow’s Innovators’ propels our mission forward, enhancing youth capacity in entrepreneurship, STEM, and sustainability. This collaboration has inspired over 5,000 young Africans over the last four years to harness their potential and innovate for a sustainable future. We are confident that the program in Uganda will empower a new generation of innovative, sustainability-minded entrepreneurs”.

Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa), is a youth-serving NGO with a mission to prepare African youth for future jobs, JA Africa empowers young people through hands-on, blended learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. By nurturing entrepreneurial ideas, honing work skills, and promoting financial management, JA Africa helps youth secure better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Operating in 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, JA Africa collectively reaches over 900,000 youth annually.