Being able to run a small business of their own and to live off its profits is a dream many people in rural Kenya hold. Often it is the only chance they have to generate a regular income.
There is no lack of creativity: selling books and household goods, supplying fishing equipment, manufacturing and selling soap and detergents are only a few of the numerous ideas people have come up with. To ensure that these ideas can develop into a business with real economic and social perspectives, Siemens Stiftung is supporting the professional implementation of such ventures through a training program for entrepreneurship in Honge on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The entrepreneurship training program is to promote personal initiative and social entrepreneurship. Siemens Stiftung in collaboration with the School of Business at Kenyatta University has developed a detailed curriculum dealing with business management, customer service, accounting and finance management.
After completing a four- to six-week period of training, the participants are put through a six-month mentoring program. During this period, experienced coaches and mentors help them compile their business plans, gain wider ranging business contacts and arrange any necessary microcredits. Successful candidates in the program get a certificate.
Speaking about the program, Wamuyu Mahinda, founder and CEO of The Youth Banner, a Kenyan youth welfare organization and cooperation partner of Siemens Stiftung since 2012, says: “The new training program by Siemens Stiftung and Kenyatta University creates further role models whose success stories can motivate entire communities and engender economic and social transformation.”
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