This week we launched our first video, explaining the organization and our project as well as showing a lot of footage that was shot last year during the first workshops.

Please take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM_ts4NDzAE

This was also the kickoff for our Gofundme page that is now online and gives every individual the chance to support us with a donation to make this project possible.

Please support us at: https://www.gofundme.com/umnandi/

We would really appreciate your help in the form of a donation or sharing the page with your friends and family and on social media.

The post Introducing Umnandi to the wider public appeared first on umnandi.

The event was mainly focused on how Africa’s future can be shaped considering the fast-growing market and the opportunities that come with it. The day started with a hackathon around solar energy and after the lunch breaks, pitches from Chalmers Alumnies and African entrepreneurs took place, where we were able to get the word out about umnandi and received amazing feedback. This proved to us that we are on the right track with our content, meaning that education about entrepreneurship is something that is both needed and appreciated.

Furthermore, the umnandi team also had the pleasure to connect with several interesting entrepreneurs who were very interested in a further collaboration. This might give us the opportunity to expand our work across the South African borders in the future.

The post Making new friends at the Swedish Winter challenge appeared first on umnandi.

We are now working on gathering funds to realize our ambitious goal to serve even more people all around South Africa.

To check out previous photos and what we are currently up to, please visit us on social media.

The post A new generation appeared first on umnandi.

The article (original article here):

This April umnandi went to South Africa to conduct its first two workshops in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Umnandi, a nonprofit founded in late 2016, has the mission to provide young South Africans with practical knowledge, tools and motivation to pursue entrepreneurial projects that benefit their communities. The project was initiated by students of Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship, a university in Sweden, and implemented in collaboration with EWB-SA.

Over 70 participants attended the two workshops. The first workshop, held in Johannesburg, specifically targeted South Africans from low-income households. It was held in collaboration with Sci-Bono, which is a contact that was established by EWB-SA. The second workshop, held in Cape Town, was predominately attended by engineering students associated to EWB-SA UCT and Maties.

The workshops started off with the infamous “Egg Drop Challenge”, which required creativity, teamwork and hands-on construction skills. The participants were divided into competing teams. Each team received an egg, a budget and the chance to buy various materials like straws, paper and plastic cups, where each item had different price tags. The goal: Develop a solution to protect the egg from a five meter drop. In keeping with the entrepreneurial spirit groups were also challenged to keep their solutions cost efficient, quick and creative from a design perspective.

A key aspect of the workshop involved introducing and working through the umnandi 5 step model. This model was developed to help participants take an idea from conception to an initial planning phase. It forced the teams to apply newly learned tools, think outside the box and take various business-related topics into account. “Who should be my first customer?”, “Which stakeholders are important to consider?”, “How can I test my product, gather customer feedback and improve?”. By exploring these and other questions, interesting insights emerged and the ideas were refined, altered or merged.

“Focus!” was a recurring theme during the workshop. In every step of the process, and particularly in the beginning, focus! Focus on a small group of customers. Focus on a few core features of your product or service. Discard aspects that do not contribute to this focus, minimize the overhead and stay lean. Once you see that you are on a good way, you can start expanding.

The workshops were full of energy and engagement. The participants identified key societal problems and issues in South Africa. Various creative processes resulted in thought-provoking discussions and revealed interesting ways to approach these issues.

Moreover, plenty of interesting business ideas were found and refined to a stage, where a first test-implementation would be the next step. It is now on the students to follow up and get their ideas out in the world.

Although for now the umnandi team is back in Sweden, we are looking forward to future workshops with new themes, more learning, and plenty of fun!

Thank you to our partners and supporters Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), Engineers Without Borders South Africa (EWB-SA), Sci-Bono, SAAB and countless individuals for various contributions throughout our journey!

Follow us on social media and get in touch! www.umnandi.com @umnandientrepr

Written by Simon Geldner and Sammie Chimusoro

Read the original article here.

The post Hot off the Press appeared first on umnandi.

umnandi with REACT at Chalmers Ventures, tonight at 18.00.

Follow us on Instagram @umnandientrepr !

Palma Virtuti – Reward to the brave

The post Game Day … Workshop with REACT! appeared first on umnandi.

The umnandi team is proud to announce that on the 18th of May we will be hosting our first workshop in Sweden! We are collaborating with REACT, which is part of Chalmers Student Union (Chalmers Studentkår). Goal of the workshop is to teach entrepreneurial concepts and share our passion for the field. Target group: Immigrants with a technical background! Stay tuned for more updates!

Palma Virtuti – Reward to the brave!

The post Umnandi collaborates with REACT! appeared first on umnandi.

Hey! Although we’re back in Sweden, the work has not ceased. We are busy sorting pictures, going through all the feedback, improving our slides and putting together the workbook for our participants. Also, there is a workshop in Sweden coming up, which we are gearing up for!

Palma Virtuti – Reward to the brave

The post And we’re back in Sweden appeared first on umnandi.

Better late than never: The workshop at UCT last weekend went very well! We had a lot of fun, great business ideas and positive feedback. Good energy!

Thanks to EWB-SA for your support and UCT for allowing us to use your awesome facilities! Big thanks also to SAAB for sponsoring food and various workshop items for both workshops.

Palma Virtuti – Reward to the brave

The post UCT Workshop successful appeared first on umnandi.

Improved structure, adapted content, and a focus on technology. Get ready EWB-SA!

The post Gearing Up for our next Start Up Innovation Workshop appeared first on umnandi.

Day 2 of our first workshop is completed. Thanks to all the participants, it was a pleasure working, learning and exploring with you today!

Particularly thanks so much to Sci-Bono. Great location, great support – you are invaluable!

More pictures and information coming soon!

The post Day 2 Completed appeared first on umnandi.