Eugene Kudzai Jamu is a young entrepreneur aged 25 years. He started interacting with JA Zimbabwe in 2014 when he was in high school.
“During my time at high school we did not have the Junior Achievement Company Program so l managed to participate in the workshops done for all schools. I first attended a workshop in Bindura where JA Zimbabwe talked about entrepreneurship and career guidance”, said Eugene.
He believes that the workshops he attended really helped him in having interest in running a business and getting to know how it all goes about.
In 2017, at the age of 22 Eugene started his company Netro Electronics during his second year internship vacation when he was studying Mechanical Engineering in Ghana.
Netro Electronics is a company which supports students, experts and newbies with the necessary resources and skills for them to excel in their electronics, engineering or computer science projects.
“I wanted to teach local a local University Arduino electronics and robotics something which seemed to be lacking in our engineering and computer science education in Zimbabwe. Then l realised the students didn’t have the resources to start with, so we decided to solve the problem and start the project”, said Eugene.
To date the company has agents in Chinhoyi (Chinhoyi University of Technoogy, Gweru (Midlands State University, Gwanda (Polytechnic),Bulawayo (Polytechnic and National University of Science and Technology and in Harare (Harare Institute of Technology, University of Zimbabwe and Polytechnic.
“Our company started with only one employee but we have grown gradually now and we have managed to employ a total of 37 employees both full time and part time. Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate is continuously affecting the economy in the country so we decided to employ young people only and try to help communities surrounding us”, said Eugene.
Eugene said that they are extending their branches across the whole country this year meaning that a number of unemployed youths will get employed.
“My wish is for the company to grow big and expand across our boarders”.
In 2018, Eugene participated for the JA Africa and Facebook Out-of-School Award, which recognizes alumni doing work in their home countries. Netro came second.
“The award we received really helped to boast our business to where we are today and that we really appreciate what JA did.”
Besides Netro Electronics, Eugene also started a program called Little Geeks which provides an opportunity for children in kindergarten, primary and secondary to learn practical STEM and Entrepreneurial skills.
“I realised that students when they reach University they will have limited knowledge so that’s why we introduced this program so that children will start to learn more about entrepreneurship at a young age.”
He urged the youths out there that education gives us exposure but it does not give us everything. “You have to push in the direction that you want, do not focus on money but on something that you like,” said Kudzai.
He thanked JA Zimbabwe for the financial literacy and work readiness skills that he acquired from the team, he believes that the knowledge acquired has made him to be where he is today.