 Kwa mja, siguiente Nevanya kwa kwa wanimu. Nilaka miame Ramakumu, aqwa kwa kwa wisha kwa kwa mnei. Kaminu kuwa tossu teki. Maikusik qusha, maikusiko maikusik kwa angiaf kwa kwa kwa wisha maikusik kwa kwa kwa wisha maikusik kwa kwa wisha kwa tani. Fee naivani wo bii kwa sumunbeni kwa hanikunu. Nafiainu kuwa kwa kwa kwa mikusik wisha kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa hizu. kwa kwa kwa kwa yisha kwa kononakumu. ...we say quagrand vituni different but we have student leaders in student today to help us in this particular conversation and I was talk about the HALP prize on campus program that is the HALP prize on campus program that exists in different university So to help us in this conversation and also to define what the HALP prize is all about I am with, to my extreme right, Abna Maina. He is the Halt Prize Compass Director at Muranga University. Karusana Abna. Thank you so much. Kusalama. Kusalama. Asa de sana. All right. And of course next to me is Jiala Ching. She is the Halt Prize Compass Director now from Cooperative University of Kenya. Karusana Jiala. Thank you. Kusalama. Nikusalama. Kusalama, Asa de sana. Feeling good? Feeling good. The hashtag is always is one in the morning. At Ramaguko is why you can find us. At Y254 channel is the official station handle. Of course, my colleague's handle is at Michelle Shira. Engage with us. Let us know where you're watching us from. And we shall sample your feedback a bit later on during this particular conversation right here on why in the morning. Remember we are coming to your life from the broadcasting house here in Nairobi, Kenya. We are also streaming live through our website. That's www.kbc.co.ke4 slash Y254. And of course keep watching and following this particular conversation on the go from wherever you may be. Now let me start with you Abna. Yes. What's Halt Prize all about? And what exactly are you doing at Muranga University? Fine. Thank you so much for having me in this episode. So Halt Prize, this is a global foundation. I engage students across the globe in matters of entrepreneurship and in matters to do with business startups. So essentially they give students an opportunity to come up with business ideas and business startups that can be scaled to solve pressing social issues. So your business must be profitable and also solving a social challenge that is affecting masses of people. So at Muranga University what I do as a campus director it is my role to inspire my fellow students to make them understand what this program is about because to Muranga University we are having this for the first time. To make them understand the program and inspire them to make them think like problem solvers and business startup CEOs in this space. Aha, so how long has it been at Muranga so far because you said it's the first time at Muranga University. So I'm the first campus director at Muranga University. So essentially that means selections were done late last year that was around July. All right. So it has existed at Muranga University throughout that period until now. Yes. All right, Jan, what is it for you and is it the same for your university at a cooperative? Thank you. So on our side it's a a local story because Halt Prize was initially introduced last year but the campus director stepped down and then it died and everything went underground and then I was chosen again as the campus director one month later like that, that's February. So I've not been really on the program for long. I'm new, it's like one month and I have to make sure I inspire students. So Halt Prize, it's a competition, a global competition annually organized by the Halt School and basically it being involved in cooperative university is a really good thing for the students. It's a platform since cooperative is a business school it allows the students to be innovators to make sure that their business ideas are seen and heard and they are able to sell their ideas to the investors and experts outside. So me as a campus director all I have to do is assure these people that as much as you're not going to win the one million dollars you'll be meeting people. That's the greatest part of being a business person, meeting people, networking. You might not get that money but you will have sold your idea to someone who will be really open to investing in your idea. So I am just encouraging them focus less on the money and think about what you will get after the program. You know, what I love with what you both of yourself have said is that this is a new thing. Yeah. But we are really on TV talking about it. You know, I love that you are going out there spreading your net in the deep hoping to catch something in the deep waters. You know, I love the fact that at the end of the day still new February one month down the line you know, you are talking about it on national television. You know, so it inspires a lot to see a conversation that is still new spreading at a very fast speed. Don't you think so? Yeah, it's really special. Given that I would like to relate as a student. You tell someone please join this organization we will give you one million. This person like miyam kuhil, miyam payene but if you tell them please join us to make sure we make this club grow they will be on board. So I guess the reason why we are telling the story is because we are encouraging people to focus less on whatever is said about Halt Price and think about what they will learn from it. So is it like a competition that and a competition of entrepreneurs mostly are related to Lion's Den if someone asks me have you ever watched Lion's Den then it's really easy to understand Halt Price. Yeah actually more like the same thing she has just mentioned my fellow students I usually encourage them a lot to check on the KCB Lion's Den to check out how people stand out there to present their ideas to the globe but to answer your question yes, it is a competition so it starts at the university level so at the university we have events coming up where students will come with ideas and compete amongst themselves so we look at this as a crowdsource opportunity to different schools to bring together students and to make them believe that they can be job creators and not only solve an employment to the masses but also create employment for themselves create that self believe that we are not in the system to some point to graduate and enter the job market trying to be part of the problem we can be part of the solution so once they compete at the university level we are going to have the best teams at the university level which proceed now to the regionals now they represent these universities as they proceed and meet other students and that's what the element of networking as she mentioned comes in you get to meet new people in the same space listening at the same level and exchange of ideas becomes easier you never know you could also be learning on your next business partner so we have different universities all having held prizes representatives yes right but then how do you group them in one particular university how do you segment or segregate one person from another or do they run as individuals so at the university for instance at Muranga University that's the Muranga University Edition which is called on campus and on campus exist at all universities which have representatives to the held prize so from Muranga University that's where we proceed to the regionals now brings together other universities which now compete again among themselves to have the best idea proceed to the next level so if it is Muranga University so to cut it short but if it is Muranga University I want to give an example we have one campus in one place and we have another campus are they meeting together or are the programs separates are there groupings there are no groupings I think as a campus director Iwa Muata University which has the different satellite universities and campuses we organize it now goes down to how we are able to organize ourselves from each campus we can have competitions at that level and maybe have the best three from that satellite campus and then they come to the main campus and compete so it's one unit at the end of the day so the on campus affair like for us we have only two campuses so it's easier and the rule of participation is you have to be a student of a registered student so every student who is a cooperative student is allowed to be part of the participation not an alumni not a staff obviously compulsory they must be students so it's a cooperative affair it's a cooperative affair so after us having the best winner we will take them to the regionals as a cooperative team not as a team we will take them as this is our team this is the best team that we chose and we will like them to represent us the whole affair is making sure the university stands out that's why the on campus is really crucial for us campus directors we need to bring on board the best team if the best team wins from our side we also win so it's us to make sure we work hard and choose the best team by choosing the best judges the most experienced judges now looking at the reception I don't know if you've got the numbers with you but how many are we looking at in terms of participation how is the reception on the ground from the university students what are they saying and how do you expect to work with what you've got moving on to the near future with the vision that you've got as the campus directors alright so at Umuranga University I think this is a problem that is cutting across the universities because we are meeting with other campus directors and I call to relate a lot so especially when you are introducing a new idea people don't receive it well they don't really people don't like new things they look at you and they are like this is some fantasy you are trying to sell out and sometimes they don't understand that we are doing this voluntary so they see the kind of energy you are putting in and then they feel like this person is up to something and you know how Kenya is we love that amelipwa yeah exactly maybe he wants to get our ideas and go sell them so it's been hard though but I think I thought of an easier way that was going to make me hit the numbers so we organized with my committee members we decided to have activation days three is to get activation days so we had a tent we had the sound system and then we have my fellow committee members we have a program we have a student that passes this information and interested students can register so at that time we were able to register 67 interested persons whom we consider as team captains because for you to register an idea again you need to be a team I advise and encourage this team work because when you talk about business you can be having a business that is soft to your base but you are not a developer so you need to get someone that is really good in that area yeah that's what I was trying to get even initially how you divide people okay so they are going to be teams yeah they have to be teams and each team will have a team leader yes okay who is now a team captain right so but essentially the corporate I tend to tell my fellow students see yourself as CEO and you look at your mirror and that is your company exactly you know that you are working with and your team members are like your corporate leaders they see you for I don't know what exactly motivate your members from a perspective that this is a future company I am really laying down foundation on and so that approach really helped us we were able to register good numbers and at the moment I think a lot has happened since and I am talking about 15 teams that are remaining where we will be having our semi finals on Wednesday then we will have the best 8 now proceeding to the finals on our event that is on Friday I think that's a good number yeah sure that's a good number for first time big number so how is that at cooperative at cooperative it's kinda tough it is tough because I had one month so I sent a message to all students through the president's account and everyone was able to receive the message but it depends on how someone receives the message and so far we have 10 teams and not so good but at least it's the 10 teams that they are ready you can't go with a large number and maybe some I don't even sure so I settle for 10 people for the 10 teams I don't know what's going on yeah give it that you started one month ago always you say yeah not good enough no good enough and you said one month ago I'm working on so I'm working on the next event since it's our first and it's one month old we still have another session September I am sure it will be better than this session so we sent the message to everyone we had posters around we tell people about Halt Prize so we sit on the streets and usually I am this kind of trending kind of person so I am Miss Universe at cooperative so you know when I'm at the streets na kofi pwake so I'm at the streets and I was like Miss Universe what are you doing and I'm like I'm the campus director at Halt Prize so please if you want to support Miss Universe just join us so everyone is like psyched up me I am coming you know they feel like I should I am just this Miss Universe so I created that profile and it helped kinda to get people on board because if someone knows Miss Universe then like she's doing this so let's just see what she's doing and the great work she's doing is I guess my profile helped kinda and my committee members they've been so much they've been trying so hard to get people on board and talk to them and it's really much like it's so much easier when we work as a team they're doing a great job yeah you know what's up with these things it's never easy because sometimes you can have all these posters around and nobody reaches out to it sometimes people don't even talk about it they just see it yeah and they ignore it I'm at school to learn so you're telling me how this is I've seen posters before so this doesn't really reach to the things I am looking at but when you have a good team in form of an executive or a writing committee they give you good support system and energy like someone I got into my executive team who came at a time when we were really overwhelmed time was going we were not eating the numbers and then someone comes in and tells you guys you know what we are going to get students participating in this and then he helps us to do that so you really need a good team in every works of life in the things that you do that might be real yes and once you've because from what you say there is an event that is ongoing yeah as we speak so for the teams to really get to know each other it's so weird you're going to compete with someone and you've never seen them there's that tension so we're trying to isn't the tension by making sure there are trainings and workshops where they meet through Zoom and physical because at least they'll have that interaction and they'll talk and communicate with each other if we reach there if I don't get this or I have this idea at least they have that interaction so that when they'll be in front of the judges they're not strangers yeah yeah so we're trying to have a workshop where they'll be meeting experts people who can tell them what to do the do's and the don'ts yeah because I was actually wondering these are competition I'm going to partner with somebody that are just humans we don't know each other yeah I don't know where they have come from but we're on top of AB and we want to compete for a prize because we both want yet both of us at some point agree we lack some financial discipline in a particular way or we lack some entrepreneurial skills one or two three things that might affect us during the competition and might affect even our presentation even though you have a good idea so then how do you ensure that these guys come again and avoid making amacha mistakes you know so that is what I want us to answer in a bit alright so let's take a short break we'll be back this is the hall prize that's right welcome back this is why in the morning and today on entrepreneurship days they are all about understanding what the hall prize is all about the hashtag is why in the morning at Ram Aguko at Y254 channel is where you can be able to engage with us keep talking to us let us know where you are watching us from and it's all about empowering students in terms of entrepreneurship how best can we ensure that we take our people to the next level empowering them giving them financial literacy you know ensuring that they know how to get things going and today I have the best panel ever to talk about this particular conversation so before we went on that break Jial let me come to you I was asking about training these guys so that they don't make mistakes when they are there they have just met new faces these are new individuals you know how can they pitch in the right idea how can they be able to even as they pitch in the right idea because if I look at how the composition will be they look at whether these businesses can make profits they look at the financial implications so how do you go through that so as a campus director and my team we are the providers I will say it that way that's our work so basically we are providing our participants with the best experts they might not be the best because we are the ones poaching them but in our view I think that really help the teams to understand if you're getting into business maybe you're sure you have that idea but there is something you're not doing right as much as you have the idea you need to change on this for the judge sees it you need to do this you need to prepare so the experts will basically be giving them a manual a secret to being the best entrepreneur and also these experts are investors from listening to them they will connect to them I get your idea I listen to it and I will be like I had someone who does this so you can contact him or her so I think our experts will just help the team it's a way of connecting them to people because these experts know people so we are getting them people who know people in a way that's our secret I get you that's right you thought how do you do it where you are yeah more like the same but looking at Muranga University the slogan is innovation for prosperity so there is in innovation for prosperity yes so there is already an existing infrastructure that we are trying to connect to so so apparently we are working with the office of innovation and research at the university so they really helped us in terms of looking at the projects that we have and also offering oversight and mentorship to these teams so that by the time we get to the final day these students are prepared to pitch from our end we are starting to make sure that all these registered teams we had a common meeting and then it was a challenge so can each of you at least tell us what your idea is about and then amongst themselves they were able to critic on you know need to move on this you need to do better in this area and then talking of experts we've also tried to get in touch with people in the industry oh yes are busy but more than really willing to be involved in these activities motivate them and over them or other skills that they need to get to the main day what happens to the best you have a competition on going right now you said yours is on Wednesday is it the same as no so we chose a different just a different day way ours is on Wednesday next week next week yeah yours this Friday okay so what happens to the best so after on campus we have the regional summit the regional competition so our best team gets to represent the university at the regionals level whether they'll be meeting other university teams and those who will have registered after the on campus program so the good thing about Halt prize if you miss out on the on campus you can still make your team form your team all round actually the good the positive side of regionals is you can be from cooperative and have your team members from other universities so as much as the on campus is almost over our regionals will be open to every student and so our best team will go to the regionals and the others will also urge them to register online so it's still a continuous process our teams that will be left behind we tell them this is not the end you can still join the regional summit where we want to be really taking control of you or helping out so much because the Halt prize organization will handle you but we will be there to give you support and tell you what to do but even though so they can also participate participate through also being part of the event so they can also follow up and also learn from others yeah yeah all right so it's not the end it's not the end so um I believe the same case is for you for the winners for the winners of the university level I think starting with white ambitions we really had a big budget you had a big budget yeah because we wanted to make it something really mega you know create an impact even at the university level yeah so that next time as I said this is the first time I'm introducing next time students here about this initiative by then now being our final year I guess I'll be out so whoever that comes in I wanted to make really easy for him but it's hard out here reality reality whether ni go kubata it's hard reality it's been a bit tricky I can imagine for her one month down the line and I've been doing this since last year but think I've not been so even as we approached Friday uh unfortunately we don't have a native sponsor so apparently my plan is to use the resources that are available at my disposal but you still want a sponsor you're still looking for one yes yes but I guess I want to come on board I really appreciate because right now it's just me trying to see how best I can even what are the best things at that level so so we are we are planning to award the best teams at the university level so that when you talk about the best team the rest not really feel like left out even as there is a second round of applications to the regionals and then yes we get them inspired and ready so that if we are able to award them maybe monetary or some other things and choose they can use to exploit then it means why to the regionals they'd be more prepared and more inspired to move on but we love the best but now that is at the regional level is there another level after that once you've all made at the regional level what what's the next phase because now the regional level I believe is now countrywide yeah there is an accelerator where the best I guess it's the best team countrywide it's continental actually after Africa we have 3 cities hosting this Nairobi, Arucha and the Johannesburg so nothing of Nairobi you can think of the all of Miss Africa and Central coming together and then you know moving forward yeah but it ends up at the United States so now it takes us to the New York City for the accelerator now what we call the finals aha and now I'm going to build Clinton is this presenting the gift to the winner and actually he is the same person who gives the theme this year so the Clinton Foundation works in close partnership with Hatch Price Foundation yeah and they were present during the event the grace and also offer their work so he's all that that gives a theme for every yes yes yes now this year's theme is getting the world back to work maybe we can talk a little a little bit about that getting the world back to work and for calling upon students to come up with the business ideas with this particular theme your thoughts on that well I think it's because of the covid it affected most jobs most people went home guys lost jobs people had to close their businesses so when he is when he proposed getting the world back to work is if a student comes up with a job it's creative it means the unemployed gets a place to call the earning place you know you have somewhat to feed your family so I think theme is really in line with the situation we are in currently most people are unemployed most students after university watch next that's usually the biggest question so for the jobs we have a place it might not be by 2024 you have employed 2000 people directly but there is indirect employment so that's the focus maybe I think it is going to the theme is really going to help solve the situation the seven SDGs that we are currently facing and we are hoping that our teams will will be at the front forefront to make sure we get back to the work all right you talk on the theme yes the theme is something I'm really passionate about personally when I look at the corporate at some point I prefer getting into partnerships with the people in the corporate industry than maybe getting employed so I think if I had an opportunity to participate at their own campus level I'd be one of the first people to be more interested in this so the theme is on creating employment opportunities we are inspiring students to come up with business ideas which if they are scared they can create up to 2000 entry jobs by 2024 so we are just encouraging students ourselves to be job creators and as I said earlier so that we are a part of the solution not part of the problem because this year we graduate and join masters who are already done employed looking at the economic station in Kenya now I'm wondering because you mentioned that the student that their particular students who are supposed to be participating in this event if somebody has a project what's the process of getting in they have an idea or a project what's the process and what is somebody that corporate university what is somebody that is at Muranga University do we have such kind of space or is it strictly for students maybe you can highlight that particular area a bit so when the students so on campus is basically students so when a student is interested that has a project they login into the Halt Price Kenya website where they'll get a portal to register when you click register you are directed to your university you will just see the list of universities and every student knows the university so everyone will like I'm from cooperative you will get the website for cooperative there is a form to fail so the students are everything is provided but for a non-student the regional summit is open the portal is already open so they can register as from now yeah all right so there is a website to register whether on campus whether off campus I will say that too all right before I come to you let me let me get it first some of the challenges you get you've been facing so far one is convincing people it's hard telling someone you will just to wake up present your idea and win 1 million dollars it's tough and also we just has he said we wanted to make it something really special I wouldn't really expect someone to pitch the idea and then after they are done I tell them you've won and then we move on I would really wish to give them something an award but for that for that to be possible we will need potential sponsors companies that will come on board and say if this team wins I chip in this way or I give this but we're still missing and we're still hoping hopefully by Tuesday we will have found some one or two people we've reached out sent a couple of letters and we're still waiting in staff if it doesn't go through I guess we'll just have to use what we have because we can't also just make things happen if we have no way so we'll just use what we have and convince our teams that next time we will get much better well planned I guess that's our plan and the biggest challenge is you have your teams you have the program after that what next you know what next because you will have chosen your team you've submitted their names but maybe the other guys they expected more or the students expected more they expected a grand halt prize event and as a campus director you have nothing you just have you and your ideas and so maybe convincing power so we really need support from all round from so I will I noticed most of my guys love media attention so if I'm to get the limelights yeah the because some people feel like if I'm supposed to go in front of the media and tell my idea or someone sees it me like I will get people so most guys are like kutakwa na nini kutakwa na tv and you're like I can try or I can use my camera so we try to make it so not stressful we tell the guys we will we got you covered if you don't know how to do this so most people don't even know how to register you tell them I will do it for you that's my work just tell me your details I log in do everything for you using my data I post your pictures I like it's it's as if our entire team is doing everything for these guys that's like our work we are the the servants you know to be a master you need to be a servant for you talents you've been facing so far and how have you managed to go through all those hurdles challenges I I don't know which many but I think I've been in the space of dealing with people for a while as a student leader so most of the challenges don't really surprise me or in a way I find a way to deal with them but I think most of the challenges that are now most of my team members are facing essentially is learning how to work as a team so essentially that means that they have a big problem trying to relay some team members drop out at some point and it gets chaotic so they registered as four members now they are a bit around two now the other challenge is on what she has mentioned getting corporates on board and who can also help us in form of sponsorship give to ambass and all that it's been a big challenge and fingers crossed still looking for that after this interview of course this opportunity maybe someone can chip in and help us someone watching please even in just a gift number some gift number or something yes at least something to give these guys and appreciate them for that and if they do want to reach out to you with a response how can they do so through my phone number okay here and you you'll give it a name I will go for phone number all right so for the both of you you try to give your contacts yeah okay so how go ahead fine so my iPhone number is 0798791060 yeah come again 0798791060 and Jav mine is 011 2538643 again 011 2538643 na mujuwe na team mafisi saloud wacha ijuwe kane for this period yeah it's a loud it's a loud they'll be pitching up the idea so yeah isn't it sell your idea sell your agenda yeah selection period they are between the grand prize of a million dollars as we bring this conversion to close I want us to wrap it up and I would like to give each one of your final word maybe there's something great to say to that to the students that are watching you at home our take on for the day you know what would be your final word let me start with you Jaya on a final word I would just like to say as my most of my friends say if you know someone you will always get things done because knowing someone gets you a step ahead and being part of this competition will allow you to know people indirectly and if you miss out as a participant you can still be a community member you interact indirectly and directly with the people you will know what to do if you're given an event to plan or organize so a health prize is either ways you can be a participant or an event planner either way you're still benefiting you're still growing you're still nurturing yourself because as a campus director I had to be the boss and the servant both ways you tell people to do this but you also have to do it so you're going both ways to make sure things are done and you have to get your teams to understand that you're doing your best to cover them and give them what they need the resources they need so I think any student that is watching I will add them to join health prize and participate and feel free to give feedback feedback is really important for growth and it will help us as the campus directors or the others who will join to know what is to be done and what should be improved and what should be done better I really think the student should be open to give us feedback that's all I would like to say feedback is crucial thank you wambi kama feedback is crucial feedback and communication is very crucial for any deal to happen and go through well all right let me finish it your camera is still talk to your people so I think I'd start by appreciating the support I've received from my focus pick startup and also from my family and the friends I have with my committee and everyone that has really helped me to be here today on my final word now is to say that as a student or as anyone in life be always curious always try to find out what's happening because opportunities can find you if you try to settle down and just be average let's see how best we can make our communities better by being part of the solutions that we can provide and not part of the problems that we are already facing thank you so much all right thank you so much you guys are doing a great job thank you thank you it's a great job very inspiring you can be a mentor you can be you can head a team that already has an idea yes it's still there at once see, that's why I have the vision yeah yeah, you have it too sometimes you find your vision as you interact with people oh no but I'm barely yeah that's when I invitation to you but I'm barely but what's the issue of conmanship quite a lot I think that's that's one of the challenges we should have highlighted it's I think it's the brainwork someone is like and most of the guys I notice they relate it to science congress high school where you present your idea and then you proceed to the next level you realize your idea was sold out to someone so through another team and you're like no I'm not ready to open up again I had enough character development in high school so I think it's just the mental it's just the effects of whatever happened before someone is like someone if I knew I would I would not get involved in this there's also a lot of fraud in the internet yeah but I don't know the day we should go out there we should just try so no if you're kind that's what she says she's amazed the universe like you trust her that she cannot be used kwa niwa aga vizuri really distressed let's bring that conversation to a close down thank you so much Jial thank you so much Abna for for coming and of course they are campus directors for hals prize at different campuses Jial is from cooperative university of Kenya of course Abna is from Muranga University lady and gentlemen asante sana thank you so much for having us I wish you guys the best thank you thank you and that goes to the end of this morning conversation right here on why in the morning and of course I would like to wrap it up thank you so much for being part of this morning's show my name is Ram Maguko and behalf of everybody that ensured this show was a success we want to say thank you so much may god bless you may god bless the work of your hands have a good morning