In this first week of training, participants have learned the meaning of entrepreneurship and group enterprise, including the pros and cons of each, along with the traits of a good entrepreneur or a good group. Additionally, they have learned the reasons many businesses fail, and the three main types of businesses. Finally, the participants went through the process of how to choose a good business idea, assessing the unmet needs of people in their community, and comparing that against the skills they have and the locally available resources. After all of this, the participants chose the strongest business ideas and formed a total of seven group enterprises. Over the coming weeks, together they will write their respective business plans, beginning with a list of the total business needs and start-up costs. The seven group enterprises formed include: cooking (2), decorating, tailoring, farming, chicken keeping, and hair salon.
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Business Skills Training for the tenth batch of young people began earlier this week, which aims to equip young people, with a special preference for young mothers, with the knowledge and tools for how to apply for and attain employment, and how to choose, plan and run a successful enterprise, be it individually or as a group. The ultimate goal is to empower young people to attain economic emancipation and rise out of poverty through strategically planned income-generating activities, enabling them to joyfully and confidently live a full and dignified life. In this first week of training, participants have learned the meaning of entrepreneurship and group enterprise, including the pros and cons of each, along with the traits of a good entrepreneur or a good group. Additionally, they have learned the reasons many businesses fail, and the three main types of businesses. Finally, the participants went through the process of how to choose a good business idea, assessing the unmet needs of people in their community, and comparing that against the skills they have and the locally available resources. After all of this, the participants chose the strongest business ideas and formed a total of seven group enterprises. Over the coming weeks, together they will write their respective business plans, beginning with a list of the total business needs and start-up costs. The seven group enterprises formed include: cooking (2), decorating, tailoring, farming, chicken keeping, and hair salon.
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Today, EBLI began business skills training for its tenth batch of young people to move through the project. Each of these individuals recently completed computer literacy training and is now entering into a business skills curriculum, co-facilitated by Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, and assisted by former student young mother, Neema Jeremiah. While the focus remains on young mothers, EBLI began accepting a few boys in the tenth batch, all of whom come from impoverished backgrounds. The objective of today's seminar was to initiate business skills training that aims to equip young people, with a special preference for young mothers, with the knowledge and tools for how to apply for and attain employment, and how to choose, plan and run a successful enterprise, be it individually or as a group. The ultimate goal is to empower young people to attain economic emancipation and rise out of poverty through strategically planned income-generating activities, enabling them to joyfully and confidently live a full and dignified life. This first seminar was attended by 46 young people - 43 young mothers and 3 boys - and focused on the foundational aspects of entrepreneurship, for example: Who is an entrepreneur? What is a group enterprise? What are the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of each? Additionally, participants set classroom rules and stated their course expectations to ensure a fruitful learning experience for all. Business training focused on entrepreneurship will continue for eleven days, followed by four days of employment training, a business exam, introduction to Hisa saving and loaning groups, and business leadership training. Today EBLI completed its home visits of young people currently enrolled in Batch 10 of EBLI computer literacy and business skills training. This was the fifth and final round of home visits for this group. You can still read about the first, second, third, and fourth rounds of home visits. A total of 4 young people were visited today, all of them girls. The objective of this field visit was (1) to understand where each young person lives to help communication, (2) to see firsthand his or her life condition, (3) to build relationship among the students, and (4) request the cooperation of parents/guardians in ensuring that the child in their care arrives each day to study computers and business. Co-facilitators of business training, Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, conducted this field visit. Specific young people visited include: Annaezekiel, Fatuma, Zaineth, and Laurensia. At each home, Michael and Lucy sat with the parents and reiterated the aforementioned objectives, and took a family photo. Be sure to view the photo gallery below from our visit! EBLI finished its fourth round of home visits of young people currently enrolled in Batch 10 of EBLI computer literacy and business skills training. You can still read about the first, second, and third rounds of home visits. A total of 7 young people were visited today, all of them girls. The objective of this field visit was (1) to understand where each young person lives to help communication, (2) to see firsthand his or her life condition, (3) to build relationship among the students, and (4) request the cooperation of parents/guardians in ensuring that the child in their care arrives each day to study computers and business. Co-facilitators of business training, Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, conducted this field visit. Specific young people visited include: Agnes, Rosemary, Mwati, Magreth, Grace, Betty, and Laurencia. At each home, Michael and Lucy sat with the parents and reiterated the aforementioned objectives, and took a family photo. Be sure to view the photo gallery below from our visit! Today, EBLI conducted its third round of home visits of young people currently enrolled in Batch 10 of EBLI computer literacy and business skills training. You can still read about the first and second rounds of home visits. A total of nineteen young people - eighteen girls and one boys - were visited today. EBLI began accepting a few boys in Batch 10 as part of a pilot, which may open up to more boys in the future. All come from rather impoverished backgrounds. The objective of this field visit was (1) to understand where each young person lives to help communication, (2) to see firsthand his or her life condition, (3) to build relationship among the students, and (4) request the cooperation of parents/guardians in ensuring that the child in their care arrives each day to study computers and business. Co-facilitators of business training, Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, conducted this field visit. Specific young people visited include: Bahati, Naomi, Veronica, Sarah, Afro, Annastazia, Martha, Maria, Salome, Emanculatha, Neema, Pili, Lemigius, Kanana, Neema, Lilian, Mary, Francis, and Agnes. At each home, Michael and Lucy sat with the parents and reiterated the aforementioned objectives, and took a family photo. As mentioned back in February, EBLI is always trying to improve its activities to best meet the needs of its beneficiaries. Towards the end of last year, young mothers voiced that it would be helpful to them if EBLI offered a business refresher course for those who have already completed computer literacy and business skills training, but are looking to refine their business knowledge so as to be a better employee or manager of a business. In response to this need, EBLI offered its first two-day business refresher course last February, and conducted a second two-day business refresher course that ended today. This most recent business refresher course, co-facilitated by Maryknoll Lay Missioner, Michael Leen, and EBLI staff member, Lucy Metha, was attended by 17 young mothers. The participants selected the discussion topics based upon their areas of need and what would most help them in the management of their business. Areas of focus included: the reasons businesses fail, financial management including how to raise capital, selecting a business location, preparations for selling, record keeping, marketing, customer service and business expansion. Additionally, the young mothers learned once again how to apply for a job and gain employment, discussing topics such as the good traits of an employee, and how to write a cover letter, curriculum vitae (C.V.), and how to prepare oneself for an interview. Tea and lunch were provided both days for all participants. The young mothers who participated in this business refresher course are involved in a variety of businesses, including restaurants, food markets, hair salon, handcrafts, and farming, to name a few. Most of them, however, intend to use the skills from this course to start another business of their dreams down the road. For example, one young mother is currently cooking breakfast food in her neighborhood, setting aside the profits of her businesses so that she may be able to buy a sewing machine and start her own clothing business in the future. EBLI reaffirms the importance of making small yet continuous steps towards fulfilling one's dreams. In an effort to further economically empower young people, EBLI staff member, Elizabeth Geoffrey, has begun teaching sewing skills to a group of young mothers. This group has begun by learning how to make rugs or floor mats that can be placed in the entryway of a home or business so that family members or customers, respectively, may wipe their feet upon entering. The particular mats this group has made resemble the feeling of carpet, which is something quite uncommon in Mwanza, Tanzania. While there are those making a product for a similar use, the material and style of the young mothers' floor mats is rather unique. Right now, two young mothers, Dafroza and Zawadi, have been well-trained by Elizabeth in this handcraft. The hope is that not only will these two young mothers be able to continue to make floor mats that they can sell for a personal source of income, but also that they will teach a handful their peers the same trade so as to benefit more people, perhaps with the ability to start a larger group enterprise later on. EBLI continued to visit the homes of young mothers in Batch 10 who are currently studying computer literacy and will later enter into business skills training. A total of seven young people - six girls and one boy - were visited today. As mentioned during the first round of home visits for Batch 10, EBLI began accepting a few boys this year as part of a pilot, which may open up to more boys in the future. All come from rather impoverished backgrounds. The objective of this field visit was (1) to understand where each young person lives to help communication, (2) to see firsthand his or her life condition, (3) to build relationship among the students, and (4) request the cooperation of parents/guardians in ensuring that the child in their care arrives each day to study computers and business. Co-facilitators of business training, Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, conducted this field visit. Specific young people visited include: Evelyn, Milka, Emilius, Angelina, Fatima, Veronica and Prisca. At each home, Michael and Lucy sat with the parents and reiterated the aforementioned objectives, and took a family photo. In early 2016, EBLI conducted project monitoring and evaluation in the form of a field visit to the homes of the young mothers in Batch 9 who had entered computer literacy and business skills training. Today, EBLI continued its home visits, now focusing on the tenth batch to pass through the project. A total of twelve young people - ten girls and two boys - were visited today. EBLI began accepting a few boys in Batch 10 as part of a pilot, which may open up to more boys in the future. All come from rather impoverished backgrounds. The objective of this field visit was (1) to understand where each young person lives to help communication, (2) to see firsthand his or her life condition, (3) to build relationship among the students, and (4) request the cooperation of parents/guardians in ensuring that the child in their care arrives each day to study computers and business. Co-facilitators of business training, Michael Leen and Lucy Metha, conducted this field visit. Specific young people visited include: Swahibath, Magreth, Eva, Grace, Tadeo, Warda, Pendo, Grace, Gregory, Shoma, Mwanadi, and Anerth. At each home, Michael and Lucy sat with the parents and reiterated the aforementioned objectives, and took a family photo. For the third year in a row, EBLI proudly welcomed visitors from Friends Across Borders (FAB), a mission outreach program run by Maryknoll Lay Missioners. This group of nine was visiting from the United States of America to see the work being done by Maryknoll Lay Missioner, Michael Leen, who is Head of Economic Empowerment at EBLI. Two other Maryknoll Lay Missioners in Mwanza, Tanzania accompanied the group on this visit, including Michael's wife, Ashley Leen, and fellow lay missioner, Steve Pope. During the visit, the guests learned about all of the work being done at EBLI, with a particular focus on the economic empowering activities being carried out by Michael Leen and other EBLI staff members, such as Lucy Metha who unfortunately was unable to join us this day. Additionally, the guests toured the facilities and met with young mothers currently studying computers and also those who are enrolled in the secondary education program. Finally, a few brave souls from the secondary education class stood up in front of the guests and practiced their English, offering short snippets about their life. It made us proud to see our students speak with such confidence and conviction in front of the guests. After visiting the EBLI office, the group traveled to the Mahina neighborhood to visit the businesses of Suzan Silas, a young mother who previously completed EBLI computer literacy and business training. There the group had a chance to interact with Suzan, see her businesses firsthand, and even enjoy a lunchtime meal in her restaurant. Many thanks to Maryknoll Lay Missioners for providing EBLI with lay missioner, Michael Leen, and for the wonderful opportunity to interact with the participants of the FAB program! Karibuni tena - you are welcome again! |
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