Junior Achievement Mini Company Program 2017

Focusing on entrepreneurship, the Junior Achievement Mini Company program is, this year, witnessing the participation of 14 teams from schools around Mauritius. The program allows students from Grade 12 (Lower Six) to demonstrate their business acumen as well as their spirit of entrepreneurship. News on Sunday this week presents seven of the different business projects. 

The Junior Achievement Company Program, which was launched in Mauritius in 2011, teaches students from Grade 12 (Lower Six) how to start and run their own business and also develop and market a product or service. For this year’s edition of the program, 14 teams of student entrepreneurs from secondary institutions around the island have chosen to develop and focus their businesses and products on four themes, namely use of renewable energy, water conservation, recycling process and tech items.

The JA Mini Company Program lasts for a minimum of 11 weeks. Students dedicate an average of 24 to 45 hours of hands-on business development experiences and activities such as starting, managing and liquidating a business. However, in order to develop their projects, the teams are guided by a mentor or volunteer and/or their teacher over the 11-week-period. Showcasing their entrepreneurship skills, participating students also have to demonstrate the use of innovative thinking to learn and explore business and corporate career aspirations.

On 5th August, the 14 participating teams had the opportunity to present their project and products to the public. Through an Expo-Vente at Kendra Shopping Mall at Saint Pierre, the students also had the opportunity to develop their communication and selling skills by interacting with members of the public. They also presented their project to the Minister of Education, Leela Devi Dhookun-Lutchmun, who was present at the event.

This week, we discover seven of the fourteen business projects.

Eco Luminate Co. Ltd

The company, developed by students from Dr Maurice Curé State College, produces stylish lampshades made from paper from old copybooks and newspapers. The papers are recycled and transformed into ‘paper mâché’ and engineered into this attractive and eco-friendly lampshade. The lampshade is also coated with patches of old fabrics. The team also produces ecological notebooks. The students create the cover of the notebook by artistically arranging dry leaves, while the paper is whitened and compiled to form the ecological copybook.

Azurro Company Ltd

The team of Ebène Girls SSS has developed Azurro Company Ltd which sustainably manufactures wooden products such as bookmarks, jar holders, storage box, among others. Their aim is to protect the environment. Azurro Company Ltd produces handmade pen drive cases. Made from recycled wood, the cases can be personalised. For the multi-purpose jar holders, the students fix jars on a wooden plank. The holder can be used in the kitchen to hold utensils, in the bedroom as a decorative item and in the garden to grow flowers, among other purposes. Azurro Company Ltd also manufactures key chains and bookmarks made from recycled wood.

Smart Edge Company Ltd

The team from Mahatma Gandhi SSS, Moka has developed the concept of the universal led phone holder. Smart Edge Company Ltd has created this useful everyday object that enables people to watch movies on their mobile phones comfortably without having to hold them for long in their hands. The led holder is made of recycled glass for esthetic purpose and for the light effect. The choice of blue led light is to reduce the eye strain while fixing the screen for long. It can be used anywhere on the bed, on the desk at different times of the day. The product holds the phone in a good viewable position for the viewer.

Royal Eco Craft Ltd

This company manufactures a variety of products namely desk organiser, bracelet, penholder, table, stool, basket and phone holder. Royal Eco Craft Ltd, set up by a team of students from the Royal College of Port Louis seeks to produce eco-friendly products. The desk organisers are made of cereal boxes, the bracelet is made up of magazines, the pen holder is made up of cardboards, the table is made from recycled magazines. The students manufacture the stool from old cardboards, the basket with old newspapers and the phone holder is made using lollies sticks converted into a phone holder.

GRInoS Company

The aim of GRInoS company, set up by students from Dr Maurice Curé State College, is to collect old and used tyres throughout the island and to upcycle them into stylish new furniture. Being non-biodegradable, tyres are difficult to dispose of. Hence the company has decided to help the environment by its own means. The stylish and colorful poufs are 100% eco-friendly.

Aquayom Aquaponics

This business is headed by a team of students from John Kennedy College. The team of Aquayom Aquaponics is determined to encourage sustainable development and organic farming through aquaponics. Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) that raise fish and grow plants together in one integrated system. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants and the plants naturally filter the water for the fish. However, as the ordinary aquaponics farms require many complex installations which may not be affordable to everyone, Aquayom Aquaponics has decided to produce a miniaturized and simple mode of the aquaponics culture. The students launched the Aquapot using recycled jars.