JA Africa Regional Company of the Year Competition : Royal College of Port Louis to represent Mauritius

Thanks to their project on ‘Aquabag’, students Risheek Chummun, Djameel Jowaheer, Anikeith Teeluckdharry and Fawwaaz Rusmally from Royal College of Port Louis came out as grand winners of this year’s Junior Achievement Mini Company Final. They will represent Mauritius at the JA Africa Regional Company of the Year Competition in Accra, Ghana, in December.   

The winners of the 2018 Junior Achievement Mini Company was revealed during the final of the competition, which took place on Saturday 8th September at Pierrefonds campus of Uniciti Education Hub. The winning team, composed of Risheek Chummun, Djameel Jowaheer, Anikeith Teeluckdharry and Fawwaaz Rusmally, students from Royal College of Port Louis, impressed the jury panel with their project based on the 'Aquabag' product. Their project was selected among five others, which were in competition. The winners will fly to Accra, Ghana, in December, to represent Mauritius at the JA Africa Regional Company of the Year Competition.

The four Grade 12 (Lower 6) students presented their Aquabag project, a waterproof bag designed to protect their school equipment and other supplies during rainy weather. Light and foldable, the Aquabag is a practical and indispensable tool for students of all ages. The Royal College of Port Louis team as well as the other selected teams also demonstrated the different techniques and strategies put in place to ensure the profitability of their business, in particular through marketing, financial, pricing and shareholding structure, among others.

During the presentation of their project, the RCPL team showcased a sense of leadership and responsibility in their approach, which convinced the jury composed of Eddy Jolicoeur, Director of MIOD, Didier Lenette, President of JA Mascaraignes and Marc Desmarais, Head of Education, Uniciti Education Hub.

“We are really happy that we’ve won. It was a great experience for the team. We were not totally satisfied with our performance but we remained confident. We are first and foremost friends and it is this team spirit that we believe is paramount and which allowed us to win. In fact, we are seriously thinking about launching our product as we continue our education,” uttered a member of the RCPL team.

The same goes for the runner-up team of this competition, namely the students of MGSS Moka, who presented an Ottoman project, made from recycled tires. Two other prizes were awarded, namely the Merit Award to the team from Ramsoondur Parayag SSS for their project Eye Phone Ltd and for their sense of innovation and creativity. The Entrepreneurship Award went to Green Savers Ltd of team from Quatre Bornes SSS.

It should be noted that 15 teams from 11 different secondary schools around the island participated in the JA Mini Company, an 11-week program culminating in the final. An expo-sale was held during the 11 weeks allowing students to market their respective products. The JA Mini Company is already in its 7th edition, and is attracting more and more interest from students.

About JA Mascareignes

Junior Achievement Worldwide, established since 1919, is the largest non-governmental organization dedicated to youth education. Its programmess are a real introduction to the understanding of the students’ economic and social environment, giving them a taste for entrepreneurship and prepare them for the world of work. The organization is spread over all continents. It is present in 121 countries including 16 countries in the sub-Saharan region.

In Mauritius, Junior Achievement Mascareignes, with the financial support of its local and international partners, aims to provide young Mauritians with the tools that will help them face the obstacles and difficulties they will encounter in the world of work, to sensitize them to better understand their social and economic environment and to develop their entrepreneurial skills. To achieve its objectives, Junior Achievement Mascareignes has developed a strong partnership with both the private and public sectors. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources on August 20th, 2014. The programmes are complementary to the traditional curriculum, as they have a variety of interactive activities which encourage students to learn by creating.