JA Africa’s Regional Company of the Year Competition 2016: Thanks to Rogers Capital, JA Mascareignes shines at regional level

/0 Comments/by

The 6th edition of JA Regional Company of the Year Competition 2016 was held in Harare, Zimbabwe and hosted by Junior Achievement Zimbabwe, from 7th to 9th December 2016 The theme of this year’s competition was  “Start Young: Own your future”. PraSino Trypa Company Ltd of Junior Achievement Mascareignes emerged as 1st Runner Up while JA Swaziland was the winner of the JA Africa Regional Company Competition. 2016.

The representatives of PraSino Trypa Company Limited were: Ophelie Turenne, Mishita Ittea, Rheeya Mahadoo and Shannon Dussaye.  The team was supported and guided by Mrs Urmilabye Toofany, Volunteer of Rogers Capital and by Mr. Shailesh Bissoonauth, Mentor and Education Officer at Ebene SSS Girls

The JA Annual Regional Competition brings together representatives of the Sub-Saharan regions of JA Africa namely Mauritius, Botswana, Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  More than 55 students from these different countries took part in this competition and the panel of judges was composed of actors from the business world and influencers from across Zimbabwe and Africa.

This year JA Mascareigness was privileged to have Mrs. Babusha Beedassy, Communication and Marketing Manager of Rogers Capital, sponsor of JA Mascareignes’ JA Mini Company program, as member of the jury.  Rogers Capital co-sponsor of the event, also sponsored a signature award for Entrepreneurship for this regional competition, which was won by JA Gabon.

JA Africa Best Facilitator 2016

/0 Comments/by

How did you feel when you found out you had won the JA Africa Best Facilitator Award?

It was a surprise for me when I was informed I was a nominee for the Award. I was deeply honoured to receive my Certificate from His Excellency Mr. Paramasivum Pillay VYAPOORY G.O.S.K., VicePresident of the Republic of Mauritius. I am proud as a Mauritian to have been in-line with the standards of JA Africa countries. It raises my profile locally. Every day I am being congratulated. I am still enjoying this moment of glory.

As a Facilitator, my role is to ensure that all youth that are on my way, become aware of JA Programs and have the
opportunity to go through them. I teach them the importance to go to school, to be educated, the World of work, what skills are required for each job, how to choose their career in relation with skills and passion. I push them to develop their leadership skills, to become JA Facilitators, to serve their peers and contribute towards an educated nation. I am glad to be part of the family of JA facilitators.

 

Being a facilitator for JA Mascareignes for the past recent years, how do JA Programs contribute to the development of youngsters?

Through the JA Programs, Junior Achievement Mascareignes teach the young generation to live well in their community, there is no good or bad job, to respect everybody, to learn about Civil Servants jobs, why Government perceives taxes, understand voting procedures, globalization, financial and economic skills, insurance, budgeting, how acquire skills for interviews, to write a c.v. They learn in an easy and funny way with their peers as JA programs are complementary to the formal education curriculum. JA Programs are unavoidable ways for youth to achieve success.

 

What do you feel is the significance of JA Mini Company for the young generations?

JA Mini Company gives the young generation a taste of what is Entrepreneurship. By managing their own company, they become aware of what is involved in running a business, while giving them the opportunity to choose their future career. In that way they can choose to become an Entrepreneur or not. With JA Mini Company Program, youth have the opportunity to build step by step their business in the right way.

JA Mascareignes et la JA Compagnie PraSino Trypa comme Invités du Jour de l’émission Bonjour Maurice

/0 Comments/by

M. Vincent Supparayen, Development and Training Officer of JA Mascareignes, et Mlle. Ophélie Turenne, Directice de PraSino Trypa Company Ltd, comme Invités du Jour du Bonjour Maurice.

Michèle Lionnet comme invitée du jour sur Bonjour Maurice

/0 Comments/by

Mme. Michèle Lionnet, Directrice de Junior Achievement Mascareignes, comme Invitée du Jour sur Bonjour Maurice.

 

 

Interview with Mr. Maunthrooa

/0 Comments/by

Mr. Deepak Maunthrooa teaches English Language and English Literature to students of Form 1 to HSC. He currently works at Ebene Boys SSS. 

 

Tell us about yourself and why did you choose to become a teacher?

Did I choose to become a teacher or did the profession choose me, I won’t be able to say. After 14 years educating, coaching, teaching, counselling, supporting and encouraging students, I find that this is the career meant for me.

 

– It has become a popular view that the current generation of students are no longer interested in “learning”. Do you agree with that statement?

No, it is just that “learning” has changed and should no more be done as it used to be done some decades back. The chalk-and-talk method has phased out. Some believe that students should adapt to teaching but I believe that we Educators should adapt our teaching to some extent for the benefit of our students.

 

– What is the “Cooperative Learning by DM” facebook page?

This is a group I created on Facebook some years back after completing my PGCE at the MIE. The name itself (Cooperative Learning) is a term I encountered during one of my modules. The group regroups my actual and ex-students and it is meant to be a platform of sharing, coaching and learning, where more mature students share with the juniors. I normally post whatever I find useful for SC & HSC level and I have received much praise from those who seriously make use of the resources I put at the tips of their fingers.

I do my best to relate my lessons to what I post in that group. Whenever I plan group work and project based lessons, the students are required to use that group; those not on FaceBook are also taken into account, no worry about that.

 

– Do you think that Social Media can play a role in the education of our youth?

At a time when many parents come to school and say that their sons/daughters spend most of their time on the Net, on FaceBook, on Instagram, I have used the social media in a way to fit my teaching. We have to face it, students are using it, so why not put it at their advantage and have them use it judiciously. They need to be guided towards proper and relevant resources and means.

 

What are your thoughts about JA Programs?

I encountered the JA Programs during my spell at RCPL in 2011. The person in charge, Mrs Reekoye, took me under her wing and the JA Program flourished during the following years. Taking the lead to launch JA at Ebene SSS-Boys during my first few months there already gives an idea about what I think of the JA Programs. I just hope to have more dedicated colleagues to give me a helping hand; in the end, we are doing all these for the benefit of our students.
I have also used FaceBook to post pictures of what I normally do in JAM activities, so as to create some awareness among my students.