A self-evaluation application, Evaluate My Future (EMF), co-founded by Rose Makoni and Jerry Dengu, has appeared in the Zimbabwean market with the aim of motivating the young unemployed youths as well as the Micro and Small and Medium Entreprises in the country.
Makoni, in an interview, said the co-founders noticed one major problem of a high unemployment rate in Zimbabwe and decided to try and reduce the challenge.
“We looked at the unemployed and they had one common factor they all didn’t get experience most of them had informal experience which doesn’t add value to a CV, (Curriculum Vitae)” Makoni said. “So for us solution was coming up with an app that can make informal experience measurable against formal and change those with experience that passion is more important than just having experience and being comfortable.”
“We saw the same problem with startups and SMEs they can’t afford an evaluation system hence the reason why their businesses are not growing. This is how we created EMF App. It is free and a dataless app.”
EMF can be downloaded onto a smartphone or a tablet and the user has to register an account on the application, which after registration will take the user to goal page to start working.
On the goal page, the user can set a goal name, the user can give a brief summary of the set goal, the goal is out of 100 percent. The user then enters the start and end date and then saves the goal.
On the left bar within the application, there is a task icon which the user can click and add a task. The task breaks down the saved goal into small components that the user can manage.
The user can add tasks on the task page, a brief description, percentage and the completion date of the task.
The co-founder interviewed said EMF is going to have an impact on the Zimbabwean community by providing fair opportunities for both with experience and without.
“We have many graduates out there that don’t know what to do and end up doing what they don’t like because that’s the situation. EMF is going to change all that.” Makoni said.
“Just having experience doesn’t mean automatically mean u have the job. We hope to see company growth and reduction in unemployment.”
“More entrepreneurs are starting up companies because they are inspired. Work environment changing to accommodate passion within organizations. Remove laziness and have a competitive work environment,” Makoni explained further.
On challenges in developing the application, Makoni said she met the wrong people who dupped her twice before meeting someone who shared the vision.
The co-founder also said financial assistance is a problem and the application is being funded from her own personal accounts.
“Currently we are looking for investors or loans to help finance the project,” Makoni said. “The funny thing is through all we faced we never gave up but felt motivated to do more.”
SMEs sector in Zimbabwe has been facing a challenge in getting funding to grow businesses.
To sustain the application, Makoni said the application will have some features that users have to pay to access, there will also be advertising space on the EMF and will also be having training programs for management on how to manage talent and bring out the best in employees.
The application developer encouraged the youths and those in application development not to give up, follow their dreams and to sacrifice time or even money on their dreams.
