Design Thinking at Chiedza Child Care
Here is a summary on how we empowered learners at Chiedza Child Care with Design Thinking for Innovation in November 2022.
Topic: Design Thinking for Innovation
Number of students: 43
Course Duration: 4 days
Trainers: Upenyu Machingambi and Desberia Mutara
We strive to solve the following problems:
1. UNICEF report indicates that 50%+ Zimbabweans were thrown into extreme poverty as a result of COVID-19. Kids lost their parents and some parents no longer afford to send kids to school.
2. The unemployment rate in Zimbabwe is above 19% according to ZIMSTATS. The Zimbabwean economy is not capable of absorbing all graduates produced by local universities every year.
3. Global innovation disparity. Looking at startup success, USA has more than 600+ unicorns, China — 300+, Israel — 92+, Africa — 7+ and Zimbabwe has 0 | CB Insights.
Our Thinking
We believe that mid and high school learners must start to acquire creative problem-solving skills through design thinking. This can help them to practice critical thinking, develop a creator’s mindset and thrive in the future.
Using the Project Based Learning approach, Design thinking enables students to develop an “I can” mindset through learning iterative approaches to problem-solving.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.
What We Delivered at Chiedza
1. We introduced students to innovation, entrepreneurship, the Design thinking process and biomimicry.
2. Design Challenge: We challenged students to design a solution for a family living in the CBD with no land for gardening satisfying United Nations’ sustainability goals.
3. Prototyping: In groups of 10, learners applied Mator Design’s Design Thinking Toolkit to develop a simplified version of a hanging garden using disposed beverage containers.
4. Continuous Iteration: They presented their designed solutions to other classmates who acted as customers. Learners gave feedback regarding missing features, choice of material, size and how the solution can be improved to meet their needs.
5. Visualization: Visualization is a key component of design thinking and creativity. We played videos and animations to help students grasp innovation concepts and spark their interest in questioning things.
6. Story-telling skills: Story telling has a big impact in marketing new solutions and driving the adoption of new technology. We taught leaners storytelling and demonstrated Steve Jobs’ style of storytelling when introducing a new product.
We believe that helping vulnerable learners at Chiedza to be problem- solvers will help them build the future they want.
About Chiedza Childcare
Chiedza Child Care Centre (Chiedza) is a Zimbabwean non-governmental organization which was established in 2001 focusing on four thematic areas:
1. Child Protection
2. Childhood education
3. Health and Nutrition and
4. Economic Strengthening.
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By Upenyu Machingambi | Founder and CEO of Mator
