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Kudzai Chikiwa, Chronicle Reporter
HERENTALS Group of Colleges and Schools continues to carve a niche of excellence in Bulawayo following yesterday’s official launch of the Elevate Trust Foundation.

The trust is designed to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among students and was established in 2016.

The launch means resources can now be officially channelled towards getting the best out of students who hunger for knowledge.

Learners at the colleges yesterday said the trust is a giant step towards achieving their dreams of being innovators who implement socio-economic ideas that will see Zimbabwe regaining bread basket of Africa status.

The thrust is in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of the country attaining middle income status by 2030.

In an interview on the sidelines of the launch at Herentals Group of Colleges in Bulawayo yesterday, the outgoing president of the trust and head girl for Herentals George Silundika branch, Nozithelo Ngwenya, said students are the heart of the economy and possess fresh ideas that need support from different institutions and Government.

“Students are still curious about everything in the world, and because we are not yet in industry, we believe that everything is possible. We just have ideas but do not have resources to implement them and we need organisations and stakeholders who give us room to invent and develop the economy,’’ she said.

The outgoing president said the Elevate Trust Foundation through the Innovative Hub Club (IHC) is one of the institutions that help students from all divisions to implement their dreams in a practical way beyond the theory taught in schools.

She said the IHC was recently launched at Herentals and students are so excited about innovations.

“They are bringing many ideas to come up with practical projects that will benefit Bulawayo and the whole nation.

“Through this club we learnt that the sky is the limit. Herentals Group of Colleges and Schools will never remain the same. We are innovators and will remain innovators.With students exuding the spirit of creativity, Zimbabwe will never be the same,’’ she said.

Ngwenya said students should not just sit and wait for the Government to implement measures in the country but they have to be creative and come up with new ideas that bring back the economic glory of the nation.

“The President said Zimbabwe is open for business, and I challenge my fellow colleagues to take advantage of this vision and become innovative. We as Herentals say forward with innovation, it is an advantage to enrol with our college because we’re aiming towards becoming the hub of innovative ideas.’’

“I am studying Economics at school and l have realised that in the agricultural sector there is a gap. I have challenged myself to look for ways to be innovative in this sector and my dream is to come up with a mushroom project which will reduce the importation of mushrooms,’’ she said.

The Herentals Innovative Hub Club pioneer and patron Mr Masimbaashe Chasakara challenged students to embrace creativity to bring economic growth in the city and the country.

“Bulawayo is an industrial hub, and it starts with students in the region to prioritise innovation and come up with great ideas that will see the resuscitation of industries. Many students have been discouraged by the mentality that innovation is for students pursuing Sciences only. This is a fallacy. l want to challenge those doing Arts and Commercials to bring their ideas on the table and the Innovative Club will show you the best ways to implement them.

“Not everyone is a scientist. We have great economists here who have a different eye to identify gaps in the economic sector. We have artists who can perform arts that attract tourists in the country bringing a lot of currency. My challenge to students is that they should not look down upon their fields and innovate and develop whatever is at their disposal,’’ said Mr Chasakara.

Meanwhile, students gave testimonies on how the Innovative Hub Club has opened their minds and proved that beyond theoretical lessons in class, there is the real practical world waiting for them.

The students continue to shine as they proved to be rich in arts performance. Articulate poets left the audience emotional after presenting colourful pieces on the rights of the girl child and her duty in industrial resuscitation.

The Elevate Trust is a youth leadership and capacity building foundation that facilitates youth entrepreneurship and career development. Their activities hinge on three pillars, namely to inspire, innovate and enterprise.

Elevate Trust Foundation (ETF) implements its mandate by establishing Innovators Hub Clubs (IHC) in reputable high schools and tertiary institutions such as universities. Their previous launch was at Nust.

They are mandated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to provide educational support to secondary and tertiary students. The three Herentals Group of Colleges Centres in Bulawayo, namely George Silundika, Nkulumane and Lobengula centres have active members of the IHC.
Herentals students always participate in IHC activities such as Club Meetings, Boot Camps, Innovators’ Fairs, Job Shadowing, Leadership Seminars, Entrepreneurship Workshops, Community Outreach and Career Guidance.

Herentals Group of Colleges is among the biggest privately owned educational organisations in Zimbabwe in terms of enrolment. It boasts over 45 Centres countrywide. Herentals has Centres in Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Gweru, Kwekwe, Masvingo, Mutare, Chiredzi, Zvishavane, Bindura, Rusape, Marondera, Chipinge, Victoria Falls and Beit Bridge.

The Bulawayo Lobengula Branch was opened in January 2010 to be followed by the one along Fife Street & 4th Avenue popularly known as George Silundika and later followed by another one in Nkulumane. The College is in the process of building a private primary school in Bulawayo.

Herentals Group of Colleges offers academic tuition and is fully registered with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Zimsec. Herentals also offers professional courses such as Institute of Commercial Management (ICM), Association of Business Managers & Administers (ABMA). All Herentals Centres are affiliated to HEXCO, ICT, Zimbabwe Institute of Management (ZIM) and the Institute of Administration & Commerce (IAC).

In 2016 and 2017 at the Zimbabwe Leadership Awards, Northern Region, Herentals Group of Colleges’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr Innocent Benza, proudly scooped the Business and Academic Leader of the year, Zimbabwe Top Leadership Excellence Academic Institution of the Year and Zimbabwe Top College of the Year.

Dr Benza is also a renowned soccer player.

He captains Herentals FC, a team which is competing remarkably well in the Premier Soccer League. Herentals Group of Colleges is cognisant of the growing demand for digital skills, hence the college seeks to equip its learners with ICT skills through its fully equipped computer laboratories.

The college has purchased a wide range of textbooks for the New Curriculum and offers Practical subjects at all Centres. — @tamary98