A team of South African students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has been selected as one of 14 Enactus teams globally, to receive a grant through the Ford Motor Company Fund's COVID-19 College Challenge for their innovative community projects.
The UKZN team of seven students developed SmartGro, a Web-based application that will provide delivery of essential goods around Durban, to those needing access to food and medication while still maintaining social distancing.
The Ford Fund COVID-19 College Challenge supports colleges and universities to work with students in designing and developing tangible community projects that address critical local needs, which help the community become a more sustainable place to work and live.
Enactus is among the world’s largest experiential learning platforms dedicated to creating a better world while developing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders and social innovators. The Enactus network of global business, academic and student leaders are unified by a single vision — to create a better, more sustainable world for all.
The UKZN winning team consists of Muhle Ndwalane, Ntokozo Mthabela, Phiwokuhle Khumalo, Thulisile Mthembu,·Andile Mkhize, Sbusiso Lushozi and Ntandokazi Buthelezi. The team mates battled it out against 152 contenders to win the $1 150 (R21 100) prize.
Ford Motor Company Fund says it awarded more than $16 000 (R288 000) to 14 winning Enactus teams in nine countries, who developed various solutions ranging from drug-delivery drones, to specialty handwashing stations and e-learning platforms.
"We are grateful to be recognised and awarded by Ford Fund in this international competition," says Ndwalane, executive president of the Enactus UKZN team.
"This support will enable us to positively impact many households and drivers who are the beneficiaries of the SmartGro Essentials Enterprise. With the funds, we will now focus on scaling the project to other nearby communities in order to assist more of our people in their time of need."
SmartGro aims to establish relationships with local supermarkets and pharmacies to collect and deliver orders via the platform.
The team says it intends partnering with Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Checkers, Spar and Woolworths. It is also engaging local taxicab drivers to handle the deliveries, thus helping them financially too.
The cost to the customer is the purchase price of the goods, a 10% service fee and a R100 delivery fee within a 15km radius of the Durban CBD, which can be paid online, or by cash or card on delivery.
The SmartGro team have selected 10 students who are responsible for marketing the services, maintaining the online platform, assisting customers with placing and receiving orders, and liaising with the drivers and stores.
Enactus teams from nine countries were awarded Ford Fund grants: Brazil, Egypt, Eswatini (Swaziland), Ghana, India, Kenya, South Africa, the UK and US, which displayed an innovative approach to meeting the challenges created by COVID-19.
Mike Schmidt, director of education and global community development at Ford Motor Company Fund, comments: "When this challenge was presented, we were overwhelmed by the number of proposals and creative ideas that were submitted.
"Even while home and away from their universities due to lockdowns, students across the Enactus network continued to identify problems and find solutions to solve them."
The COVID-19 College Challenge is the latest example of how Ford Fund is providing critical assistance to local communities around the world in response to the global pandemic. To date, Ford says it has invested nearly $2.5 million (R45.3 million) to support non-profits in their efforts to address hunger relief, shelter, access to mobility and other urgent needs through the fund.
"At Enactus, we are focused on doing what matters now," said Rachael Jarosh, president and CEO of Enactus.
"That's why we are especially honoured to have partnered with the Ford Fund to quickly mobilise and motivate our international network of entrepreneurial next-gen leaders to tackle urgent COVID-19 related issues. We know our 72 000 students worldwide will be the front line of the economic recovery − they will help shape how we all revive and thrive in the new normal.”
The other winners of the Ford COVID-19 College Challenge are:
- City University of Seattle, US: Shirtie Mask produces and distributes reusable face masks for vulnerable populations.
- Federal University of Pará, Brazil: Project Costuraê produces EcoBags, but is pivoting production to make masks adapted with recycled material to facilitate communication with deaf people.
- Helwan University, Egypt: Link Market will provide a safe way for customers to get essentials from supermarkets and pharmacies, while also employing delivery people.
- Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India: Kimaya is a new virtual community of victims, counsellors and women who help one another deal with the growing issue of domestic violence during and after quarantine.
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana: Project ReL is a new, comprehensive, virtual remote learning platform for pupils at basic and high school levels.
- Multimedia University, Kenya: With a focus on technology, health and sanitation, this team is setting up handwashing stations in Nairobi County.
- Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, India: Project Aashray is a new Web portal that maps all stakeholders fighting COVID-19 as a one-stop-shop for users to find potential partners to collaborate with. Categories include contact tracing, testing, employee support and free food providers.
- Southern Africa Nazarene University, Swaziland: Hlanteka Wonder Bucket aims to encourage proper handwashing by transforming a general bucket into a hands-free tap and mixes the proper ratio of soap and water to save resources.
- SRM Institute of Management Studies, India: FlyLife will be an automated drone delivery, transport and logistics service for the e-pharmacy industry that delivers to homes.
- State University of Santa Cruz, Brazil: Enpathos is a new Web site that assists local entrepreneurs by connecting them with volunteers.
- University College of Management Studies of Accra, Ghana: WATERCOVIDAPP-19 is an app that lists private water vendors in order to help users locate water for household use at a marginal cost during COVID-19.
- University of Nottingham, UK: An extension of the Foodprint store, a supermarket that redirects surplus food by delivering necessary food and safety supplies such as personal protection equipment for nurses to Nottinghamshire Hospice.
- University of Southampton, United Kingdom: The Future Brew team will partner with local supermarkets to collect surplus food and create packages that will be delivered to homeless shelters and low-income families.