FedEx Express and Junior Achievement (JA) revealed the six Malaysian students that won the 2022 FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge (FedEx Express / JA ITC) Malaysian Finals.
The students will proceed to compete in the FedEx Express / JA ITC Asia Pacific Regional Finals in August 2022.
The 2022 FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge
Since 2008, FedEx Express Malaysia and JA have hosted the FedEx Express / JA ITC, and the competition has influenced over 7,000 Malaysian students till now. The FedEx Express / JA ITC seeks to provide students with pertinent knowledge, experience, and business and project management skills that will help the students to grow as entrepreneurs.
The 2022 FedEx Express / JA ITC was held virtually for the second year in a row, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic; surprisingly, more than 650 secondary school students from 21 schools across Malaysia participated in the competition amid the pandemic.
It is another challenging pandemic year, especially for students; however, all the competitors showed a high degree of enthusiasm, endurance, and competitive spirit that is incredibly inspirational. We are thrilled to continue our strategic collaboration with JA in hosting this yearly competition as it enters its 16th year. It is consistent with our goal of developing the entrepreneurial spirit of our future leaders and preparing them for the workplace of the twenty-first century. Congratulations to all contestants and winners!
Mr. Lim Seng Giap, Senior Manager of Operations of FedEx Express Malaysia
Similarly, Junior Achievement (JA) also expresses delight and satisfaction in collaborating with FedEx Express Malaysia in organizing The FedEx Express / JA ITC.
JA Malaysia is again privileged to cooperate with FedEx Express Malaysia to provide essential skills and knowledge to the next generation. And, as with every year, I am amazed to see these youngsters go above and beyond, exceeding my expectations. I am confident that the finalists will carefully consider the techniques imparted during the workshops and the comments from the judges when competing in the Regional Finals.
Stuart Dean, Chairman of Junior Achievement Malaysia
Six virtual workshops were held throughout April, with FedEx employees serving as volunteers to coach students throughout the workshop and competition, plus instructing them on how to present their business ideas and strategies.
The participating teams presented their market entry strategy plans to a panel of judges at the FedEx Express / JA ITC Malaysian Finals.
The judges included Lim Seng Giap, Senior Manager of Operations of FedEx Express Malaysia; Maran Virumandi, Founder of Doctor on Call; and Shobie Malani, Festival Director of Murfest.
Firstly, this is my first time serving on a judging panel for the FedEx Express / JA International Trade Challenge. I am honored to have the chance to contribute to the efforts of FedEx Express Malaysia and Junior Achievement in cultivating future leaders. Besides, I am in awe of the winning teams’ great concept and pure tenacity – to add, they nailed it with their clear and planned presentation. I am delighted to have been a part of this process, and I wish them the best of luck in their upcoming competition at the Asia Pacific level!
Maran Virumandi, one of the judges for the FedEx Express / JA ITC Malaysian Finals, Founder of Doctor on Call
The teams were judged based on their market entry strategy for a health product in Cambodia, which they developed using the insights and understandings acquired from the virtual workshops.
An Overview of the Three Winning Teams
The winning teams are as follows:
Team Nimol
Team Nimol consisted of two Malaysian students named Goh Zi Yu and Low Yi Su from SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 3.As Cambodians encounter poor water sanitation and waterborne infections, the girls developed CHANGE, a go-to filtration water bottle.
CHANGE contains a hollow fiber membrane filter that is easy to clean and has a long lifespan. Charity organizations and children aged between 4 to 12 years old, particularly middle and lower-class Cambodians, are the target markets since they urgently need access to clean water.
Team Nutriiene
Team Nutriiene, the second winning team, consists of Ahil Asif and Ong Wei Xiang from Tanarata International Schools. They created the Banthem sachets, which include all the nutrients needed to improve children’s immune systems and avoid premature deaths.
Every day, one in every eight children under five years old dies in Cambodia, primarily from pneumonia, fever, and measles. These Banthem sachets have minerals such as zinc, vitamin D3, and probiotics, and they can be kept at room temperature, addressing the lack of cold storage facilities in Cambodia.
Team Healife & Co
Meenal Mech and Nakkesha Sathya Mathiazhagan from Global Indian International School make up the third winning team, Team Healife & Co. They invented Campex, a customized sanitary pad that strives to address Cambodian women’s primary menstruation issues.
Many women in Cambodia experience a lack of resources, cleanliness, and general awareness about feminine sanitary care. Unfortunately, because there are no public toilets or proper hygiene facilities, women in poverty change their pads in unsanitary ways. Campex is intended to be safe and comfortable while staying inexpensive and accessible. It is also 100% compostable and contains a dissolving soap strip and anti-bacterial components.
The three winning Malaysian teams will be paired up randomly with students from other countries such as Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam at the Regional Finals.
For more information, insights, and images about the 2022 FedEx Express / JA ITC, log on to www.facebook.com/AsiaPacificITC. Kindly visit www.jaasiapacific.org for additional information about JA Asia Pacific Limited. Want to know more about FedEx Corporation? Click here!
