#MEET SENSE

#MEET SENSE

This is a short interview we conducted with Mbali Mbunda the creator of SENSE. If you like this project and would like to vote for it, click here.

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1. Please, tell us a bit about yourself: where are you from and what is your background?

I'm Mbali Mbunda, I am a 22 year old, final year Law student at the University of Cape Town. I am originally from Durban, the South African home of warm beaches, spices and delectable curries (this would be a good place to mention that I love food and swimming in the ocean). My 3 sisters and I were raised by a single mom. And well I am fortunate enough to have a mother who has been able set quite an example for me with regards to strength and independence and love and hard work. I honestly consider her to be one of the greatest blessings God has blessed me with. With regards to myself, I'm very passionate about finding solutions. Solutions that not only make the lives of people better but solutions which people can benefit from in all sorts of ways. Over the years I've been a part of the Durban Youth Council back home, I have been a part of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation here in Cape Town and most recently I started my own events management company called Basadi MN Holdings (Basadi means women it specifically encapsulates the idea of strong women uniting). This year I'm currently a part of Residence leadership, I am a Sub-warden in my Residence at UCT. It is quite a huge responsibility to be put in charge of a residence, to be trusted with students’ lives but I'm constantly reminded of the fact that responsibility creates room for growth. I believe great ideas form a huge part of determining or understanding our purpose in this world and I've always believed that ideas are to some extent life giving and so should never go to waste, hence my application to this competition.

2. Can you describe your idea or project in two sentences?

SENSE is a gap bridging app that allows for Deaf students to participate and engage in classes or lectures without the assistance of a translator.

3. How did you get your idea or concept?

The idea was inspired by a good friend of mine who is a member of the Deaf community. I met him at the end of last year and this year we are both Final year law students at the University of Cape Town. In first semester he had the assistance of a translator in some of our lectures and for the first time since I had met him we (as a class) were able to hear his thoughts and suggestions regarding the law, this was through the translator who would tell us what he was saying in sign language.

It was a short lived victory because soon after that, the translator stopped attending lectures. In my personal conversations with him, he told me just how hard it is to get a translator as a student in South Africa. He shared with me stories of his schooling career and how even in high school and primary, the education system just did not adequately provide for Deaf students. So I began to do my own research on the matter and the more I found out about how dire the situation actually was, the more was inspired to help solve the issues. And one morning, I woke up and the idea of the app SENSE was just playing in my mind over and over again. I immediately typed it up. The more I thought about it and engaged with members of the Deaf community, and sound engineers and app developers, the more I realized just how feasible the idea was.

4. What is unique about your idea/project and how does it benefit mankind?

SENSE is going to bring the dream of equal education closer to us. It is an idea that will inspire others to think out of the box regarding people who are differently abled. We need more solutions like this, solutions that will encourage integration, for example through the app SENSE, anyone can learn sign language.People will be encouraged to engage despite their differences. And globally, we need that. We need ideas that will challenge the social narratives on communities that are different. As people, we need to unite in holding our Governments or our states accountable to provide for everyone, and that means, every single person and ideas like SENSE are going to start that trend.

5. Describe yourself as an entrepreneur in one sentence

Maximizer, solution finder, here to lead and serve the people.

6. How do you deal with people that doubt your abilities/initiatives?

Someone in church once said, "do not let everyone have a say in your life. Only certain people's opinion regarding you, should matter."

This is something that really hit home with me. So to answer your question it depends on which people do not believe in my abilities or initiatives. If its people who could have a direct impact on what I'm doing or trying to do then I'd work hard to show them results as people generally believe in results. I am a faithful member of the "let your work speak for you" crew.

If the negativity is coming from people who will not have a direct impact on what I'm doing then I don't think that's worth my time and energy. Not everyone will be supportive of what you are doing and I think as entrepreneurs we need to learn to distinguish between opinions that matter and those that don't in order to effectively achieve what we have set out to achieve.

7. Where does your passion lie?

People.

 8. What are you afraid of or what keeps you up at night?

Not fulfilling my potential. Not doing what I'm meant to be doing. Not doing enough in the world.

9. According to you, money is a synonym for.....

Endless possibility.

10. If you could rid the world of three things, what would they be?

1. Poverty
2. Crime
3. Jealousy

11. What are the benefits you take from the Entrepreneurship Campus?

The Entrepreneurship Campus is an international platform that encourages dialogue with people from all over the world, so the exposure and the different perspectives we're getting is really great. Also just seeing a lot of these ideas and projects are inspiring because it reminded me that solutions can be found. And lastly some of the applicants are quite young and that's very encouraging, age really is, just a number.

12. What do you like more about the Entrepreneurship Campus?

The exposure to international ideas.

13. Which idea/project do you like most?

Other than SENSE, Edu-Cell.

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NOTICE: If you want to see more submitted ideas and projects at the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, visit BEST IDEAS and BEST PROJECTS and VOTE for the ones you think deserve to WIN the Competition!