Zimbabwe - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Chigubhu Lantern Initiative provides "A light for every student" through our unique is a solar powered Chigubhu Lantern made from electronic waste and housed in plastic waste bottles .The initiative also offers sustainable skills transfer .

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Zambezi Ark Technologies (Zartech) is a startup focusing on delivering sustainable energy and lighting solutions leveraging on the circular economy . Chigubhu Lantern Initiative, is our social cause program which provides lighting and training for school .Chigubhu Lantern is made from LED lighting electronic waste and housed in plastic waste bottles ."Chigubhu" translates to "plastic bottle" in Shona, a Zimbabwean language, highlighting the initiative's local context. Our program offers sustainable skills to schools on waste management, circular economy principles, basic electricity, renewable energy, and how to build the lanterns themselves. The Chigubhu Lantern incorporates a central solar-powered charger capable of charging multiple lanterns daily minimizing waste from individual solar panels .The central charger is powered by our custom made Chiedza Solar Kit (Chiedza means "light" in Shona) a custom-made energy solution that can also power cellphone and laptops .

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Over 60% of Zimbabwe's rural population lacks access to electricity, resulting in limited energy access (World Bank, 2022). This has reduced productivity by depriving people of lighting, digital services, and other essential amenities for education and households. Without reliable lighting at night, these areas fall behind in development. Students in rural areas struggle to study at night due to a lack of electricity. This significantly impacts their educational outcomes and future opportunities. Additionally, improper waste management exacerbates environmental degradation. Electronic waste (e-waste) and plastic pollution are rampant, with the World Bank reporting that Zimbabwe generates approximately 300,000 tons of plastic waste annually. This project aims to mitigate these challenges by providing sustainable lighting and energy solutions while promoting environmental stewardship through embracing circular economy principles and using renewable energy.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Chigubhu Lantern is our unique innovation that is solar powered LED lantern made from electronic waste and housed in plastic waste bottles . This solution is build on circular principles ,reusing on waste and powered with solar energy .With this solution we don’t only provide light but we offer sustainable skills transfer in waste management ,circular economy , renewable energy and skill on how to make their own lights .This innovation uses solar power increasing uptake of solar energy and improving access to clean energy in rural communities .This has helped create a generation of Eco-conscious people that can help us in our fight against climate change .The Chigubhu Lantern also improve the quality of education and making it a catalyst of change and development in the most marginalized communities.To support the Chigubhu Lantern Initiative Zartech has set up Circular Shops in schools and communities of our beneficiaries to offer them full product support services .

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The Chigubhu Lantern is mainly targeting the education and residential sector with main focus on marginalised communities .We work closely with NGOs ,corporate and organization that work in the education and climate space .The Chigubhu Lantern Initiative empowers students,teachers and women with lighting, sustainable skills, and environmental awareness. We focus on the education sector, where lighting significantly impacts learning outcomes and residential area where productivity extends to night time .

01.05 When was your company established?

2022-09-27

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

1

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Aluwaine Tanaka Manyonga – Founder and Lead Innovator: Aluwaine is an electrical engineer and has expertise in designing and producing Chigubhu Lantern toolkits. He spearheads resource mobilization and curates practical training content for our beneficiaries. Additionally, he leads the production team in assembling solar kits and central chargers. Abigairl Chigwededza - Training Director: Abigairl has a background in computer science is responsible for crafting engaging and informative Chigubhu Lantern developer guides for students. She facilitates training sessions and closely monitors the impact of our program on student learning and skill development. Tendiso Muguza - Public Relations Director: Tendiso safeguards Zambezi Ark Technologies' legal interests. As a qualified lawyer and legal advisor, she oversees intellectual property, contracts, and company policy, ensuring smooth stakeholder engagement.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.zartech.co.zw/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Creates jobs in marginalized communities

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

Provides good quality lighting for the health sector

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

We provide reliable lighting which is crucial for extending study hours for students and teachers .Students will now have sufficient time to do their homework ,and night time adult education can also be facilitated in turn improving the quality of education .Our sustainable skills transfer offers hands on STEM skills on how to make the Chigubhu Lantern which covers basics of electricity and give student basic engineering skills .Our Chiedza Solar Kit also provides power for cellphones and laptops this helps ensuring access to digital services in rural communities .

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

We have a policy that seeks to empower women with green skills .

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

Our solution are solar powered and we intend to achieve the same for our production .We offer a wide range of solar solutions which include the Chiedza Solar Kit that powers the Chigubhu Lantern ,mobile phones and computers .The Chigubhu Lantern comes with a centralized charger that is solar powered and is capable of charging multiple lanterns on daily basis .We have avoided use of individual solar panels to reduce potential of electronic waste from individual solar panels .At the core of our lighting products we use more efficient long life span LED chips that save energy .All our solutions improve access to affordable and clean energy for all .

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

Improved quality of education in rural areas we will increase economic growth .

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

2

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

Energy access will improve quality of life for all

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

n/A

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Our products embody the circular economy and we make use of waste giving it a second life as new products .Through sustainable skills transfer we culture a sustainable mindset to young people to make them responsible consumers .Our production minimizes the waste production and we offer full product support services through our Circular Shop .

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

We offer more sustainable products through reuse of plastic and electronic waste to make our products .Our solutions are powered using renewable energy reducing our carbon foot print .Our sustainable skills transfer spreads climate awareness and through providing hands on education .We champion in the production of circular products which reduces environmental degradation .

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

N/A

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

n/a

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

N/A

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

We cover multiple SDGs

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

5

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

6

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

6

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our solution is innovative because it integrates three crucial elements: Education We go beyond just providing lanterns; we equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand and contribute to a sustainable future. Circular Economy Our approach emphasizes reusing and repurposing waste materials, minimizing environmental impact and promoting resource efficiency. The Chigubhu Lantern itself embodies this principle, serving as a practical example for the students. Community Empowerment We do not simply offer a product; we build capacity within communities through training and local support structures like the Circular Shops. This fosters a sense of ownership and empowers communities to manage their own energy needs and waste challenges. Unlike traditional approaches that may solely focus on providing lighting solutions, our initiative offers a holistic approach that tackles the root causes of the problem while fostering long-term sustainability

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our main competition is AC lighting that is provided by the grid ,but this does not reach all communities and schools and is not reliable as they is constant load shedding . Solar Pico Lights and Solar home lighting systems are the other competition but these are mostly imported and our market is now flooded with low quality products ending up in the electronic waste stream .We offer locally designed products and full support services for our clientele through the trainings and sustainable skills transfer .

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes our team is made up of 60% females and we have applied the same to our training policy .When conduct training in schools 60% percent will be girls .