By: Emily Mikwa
100 youths from Kisumu county, selected from the seven sub counties are set to benefit from a three day entrepreneurial skills training with a bias on three value chains: fish, poultry and indigenous vegetables, held as from today at the Joel Omino Hall in Nyalenda Estate.
The training dubbed Jiinue Business accelerator translated as accelerating your business, is geared towards fast-tracking the young people from activity to business mind-set. This is based on the premise that most youths just engage in activities without a business acumen.
The program is an initiative supported by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and I Choose Life Africa (ICLA) in partnership with the County Government of Kisumu.
The focus of this program is to sharpen the soft skills of the youths to increase their employability and entrepreneurial success which is an integral part of youth empowerment program on matters economic, social, cultural and political transformation that the county aspires to achieve.
The Jiinue Business accelerator program has been deliberately designed into 3 days business development boot camp followed by 3 months business mentorship and coaching, focusing on the nine building blocks ranging from idea generation to capital raising and pitching and also developing a business model that will actualize the transformation from start up to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
The interactive session that used both in person presentations and digital space, connected youths from Kisumu, Migori and Turukana counties which were the priority counties under this program.
The Regional Manager Nairobi, Lower Eastern and Garissa, Mr. Vincent Ayako from I choose Life Africa, noted that they are only building on what the county has been doing to empower the youths in order to leverage on the existing three value chains.
He reiterated that they intend to know the level in which they are through a baseline survey that was done at the onset of training. The results from the baseline survey will inform on the areas that they need to be accelerated in order to improve their output, as they envisage a projected annual revenue of half a million and enterprises employing up to ten people. Sentiments shared by the Kisumu County Manager, Madam Mary Rombo of I Choose Life Africa.
On her part, the county Food Liaison Advisory Group Coordinator (FLAG), Madam Rose Owenga challenged the youths to make use of the knowledge gained to upscale their businesses in order to become better service providers.
According to the Agronomist and also Kisumu youth representative on matters agriculture, Mr. Sylvano Ahere, the training will enable the youths to acquire knowledge and technological know-how that will go a long way in improving their businesses along the three value chains and improving their livelihoods.
“I love the training that is ongoing, this is just day one. I believe I am going to acquire more knowledge on how I will market my produce which has been a challenge. I am grateful for the provision of such an interactive platform that will sharpen our business skills,” says Amara Olingo One of the youth participants, who ventures in production of indigenous vegetables.
