In 2023 SIVIO Institute launched the Social Entrepreneurship Lab. The ‘lab’ was designed to practically walk startup founders or individuals with impactful ideas from ideation to a business establishment. The participants were chosen from across the country, to either crystallize their ideas or help them create systems leading to the establishment of a business that promotes environmental, cultural or community impact. The lab had 14 individuals at the start, and the final pitching session involved three finalists pitching their ideas to successful business leaders with vast experience in leading and establishing a social business.
The three finalists of the lab were Foster Mukuvare, Tatenda Gondo And Mavin Nyagadza.
Foster established Business Builders Club which embodies a training tool kit designed for ideators and existing startup founders to enable them to refine their value propositions. He aim to create a system of support for other startups in Zimbabwe and beyond with his toolkit
Tatenda Gondo also pitched his idea. Tatenda has an agricultural enterprise-Zunde FarmTech that aims to create food and income sufficiency in his rural home of Mwenezi by providing training and market linkages for high value crops involving youth and women through farming.
The winning enterprise was Malvin Nyagadza who runs Rhemplast which is working to revolutionise menstrual hygiene for poor and disadvantaged women in Zimbabwe whilst simultaneously reducing environmental waste created by undegradable sanitary towels. His product uses biodegradable plant materials to create a product that is more affordable that ordinary sanitary towels available on the market.
The SIVIO Institute team would like to congratulate Malvin for his win and we wish him and all our participants of the lab the best in their future endeavors.