Wetskills-Zimbabwe 2024 – Blog Day 5 –
The group’s journey to Criterion Water Treatment plant began with a morning meetup at the Berkeley Hotel, filled with palpable excitement for the day ahead. Travel arrangements were smoothly handled by Madlala tours, ensuring a comfortable ride to the Plant.
Upon arrival, the group received a warm reception from the Plant Superintendent, Mrs Dube, who expertly guided them through the facility. The actual site tour commenced with an informative meeting detailing the plant’s operational rules and safety expectations. This was followed by an exploration of the raw water reservoir, providing insight into the initial stages of water treatment. The group then proceeded to the treatment units, observing the intricate processes of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration that ensure water purity. Highlight of the visit was witnessing the backwashing process, led by the Criterion Supervisor of the day. This is a critical maintenance procedure that helps maintain the efficiency of the filtration system. This educational excursion not only demystified the journey of water from the source to tap but also highlighted the importance of such facilities in safeguarding public health.
After the site visit to Criterion, there followed a much-needed lunch break. The Gango delicacy put some of the members’ taste buds to a test, plus burning of a finger or two from the very hot sadza!
The members entrepreneurship skills or lack thereof was exposed by the Business Model Canvas training, which prompted groups towards thinking about the business part of their solutions. Examples from In-drive, Booking.com and Apple gave an insight on what is to be included within a business canvas. The day ended on a low note, with group discussions that resulted in members realising how far behind they are in their work and the scary reminder from the supervisors that there’s only seven days to go to the finals!
Event blog by Timothy & Awakhiwe
