Are you based in diaspora and considering returning home? It is not going to be easy, but Tinashe could assist you through her Premium Chat presentation. Our forum helps showcase experiences from members with the hope of inspiring others. From once a week–we have expanded our shows to 3 and expect some of their experiences to be shared here. Of course we do not share everything which is reserved for subscribed members.
Her Show…
Thank you so much. It’s an honour to be here on this amazing platform .
Can anything good come out of Mbare? Yet here l am. Born at Edith Opperman Clinic in Mbare and raised between Mbare, Warren Park and Tafara I’m a ghetto girl.
My name is Tinashe Jaricha. Some call me Aunty Tinashe and others call me Mai No Gadgets while others have named me the No Gadgets Queen.
I wear various hats in the marketplace;
– Marketing consultant
– Digital entrepreneur
– Counsellor
– Digital Skills Trainer
– Founder of No Gadgets fun and play.
The Journey
I will mainly speak about my journey as the Founder of No Gadgets Fun and Play. This shows my journey from the boardroom to the playground. After school l went to Uni in South Africa where my mom is based and studied Marketing Management. I worked in S.A and the Middle East then came back to Zim with my family in 2020.
Home Return
When l came back I knew I didn’t want to pursue full-time employment and l decided to follow my passion and studied Counselling. It was in my final year that I had “career confusion”. What was next? Could l start from the bottom again as a Counsellor?.
I deleted all social media apps from my phone. I needed time to think, reflect and pray about what was next. I was about to turn 40 in a few months. That’s when I started observing my kids habits. They spent way too much time on gadgets. No controls, no breaks. They hardly played outside. This wasn’t the childhood l had. I grew up in the streets and came back home at night with white legs from dust and joy.
The Research
I started doing research and was shocked. This was a problem. And a global problem. Too much time on screens is not healthy for kids. This was July 2024. Come August was holidays. And I decided to start the first No Gadgets Holiday Club in my house. I invited neighbors, cousins and kids from Sunday school. They paid $5 each and got 2 meals.
The next holiday club I hired a space at a creche which helped to attract people that didn’t know me and were willing to pay.
The Next Moves
I went to a Nicaragua Independence Day exhibition. I had no idea where Nicaragua is. I met a 3KTV executive who asked me to come on their shows. They were impressed with my social media where I post videos, content and more content on what I do.
Since then I started more programs based on parents’ feedback;
-from the start we’ve had a WhatsApp community which is free for support of parents.
– I started Saturday events – the holiday clubs were not enough.
– I now do kids parties – some parents started asking me to bring the games to their kids parties.
– Parenting in the Digital era masterclass for parents who are busy and want tips and strategies in one go..
– selling offline games for families
What I’ve learned so far:
Opportunities:
– Kids business is lucrative. There will always be need because kids are growing and need different programs as they grow.
– Once a parent can trust you with their child they’ll trust you with everything..the kids that come to my events become my counselling clients, l do their parties and even do parents counselling.
– Kids entertainment in Zimbabwe is still very minimum. There is so much to do and Opportunities to build a niche.
– One of the best advice l got: you don’t need a logo, banner or machine to start a business. You need a customer. Once you have a paying customer you’re in business. Keep taking action and things become clearer as you go.
Inspiration
What inspired the name No Gadgets Fun and Play – we want to tell kids that they can have fun and play, make friends in the real world without digital devices. It was a huge success! The kids didn’t want to leave my house at 1pm when we finished. I realized l onto something.
Our humble beginnings. I taught the kids pada, nhodo,.tsoro. We also did some modern games.
Vision:
– Penetrate schools with education and awareness on digital harms.
– Acquire funding and have my own play spaces for kids around the country.
– Go national and regional and launch programs in other cities and countries.
Inspiring Others
1) God wastes nothing. Some have said the University degree in Marketing was a waste and you’re not using it. But a lot of what l do and the skills l have is because l started in Marketing. It’s in me. The Freelance writing l did helped me to now create Content nd resources for my target audience. No experience is wasted.
2) Network,.network, network. As an entrepreneur know others and be known..
3) Apply for opportunities, don’t disqualify yourself. Funding, grants, accelerator programs, Old Mutual VCC etc. I applied to the Stanbic Bank Business Clinics in 2025. It transformed how l do business and l learnt even from the new network.
4) Be faithful in the little and God will trust you with more. Last year August was our worst holiday club. We had a new venue – we’d have 1 or 2 kids coming. But I showed up for those kids and delivered the program with enthusiasm.
5) Content, Content, content. Post value, not just your ads. Keep showing up..never mind the zero likes. Keep growing your brand.
Challenges:
– In Zim there’s a huge focus on education and academics. While that is key to success, young kids especially need play time to grow life skills : communication, resilience, conflict resolution, negotiation, language, confidence.
Socials
Follow us for our events, programs, resources, and support for parenting in the digital age.
