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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Increasing their net worth
For young people living in poverty in coastal Kenya, surfing the Internet and learning to use computers make sense when these skills mean better economic opportunities. In recognition, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) announced recently that the winner of the APC Africa Hafkin Communications Prize for 2004-5 is the Global Education Partnership (G.E.P) Wundanyi, located in the Taita Taveta District of Kenya. G.E.P., with its mission "to provide access to educational resources that increase the capacity of young people to become employable and self-reliant in today's global marketplace", was co-founded by Tony Silard and Percy Hintzen (University of California-Berkeley, Chairperson, African-American Studies Department). The Taita Taveta district, with an absolute poverty rate of 66 per cent, is among the poorest districts in Kenya. Youth here will not be able to sustain themselves through traditional, subsistence agriculture, given the population growth and declining agricultural productivity. In response to these challenges, G.E.P. has developed a comprehensive, 12-week course for youth (15-24 year olds) called the Entrepreneurship and Employment Training Programme (EETP). "This programme is based on our 'From Vision to Action' curriculum, a five module, experimental learning approach that integrates information and communication technology (ICT) training", clarifies Tammy Palmer, East Africa Regional Coordinator. New investors Students learn from entrepreneurship modules that focus on building basic business development skills, such as costing goods sold, calculating profit and loss, marketing, business plan development and social responsibility. Through the work readiness modules, students improve office-related skills such as good communication, interviewing techniques, resume writing, goal setting and time management. In the G.E.P.'s computer lab, of 20 computers, students master software programs, like MS Word, Excel, Access, and Page-Maker. They learn to prepare financial spreadsheets, write business plans and resumes, and use the Internet as a communication and research tool. "For those students who create their own businesses, we award a select number of competitive grants known as "venture capital funds, used to capitalise their nascent (new) enterprises," says Palmer. Types of investments made by GEP graduates include establishing small scale grocery shops, buying farm inputs for agricultural activities, creating dairy production centres, watch repair shops, and photography studios. The programme is offered at no direct cost to students, though they are asked to contribute a 'commitment fee' of approximately $12.50. This ensures that students will complete the training, given G.E.P.'s substantial investment in students. Students incur negligible costs. Excluding over-head or administrative costs, approximately $187.5 is expended per student. This covers the cost of training materials like folders, calculators, pens, and student manuals, field trips and community service projects. Tammy says, "Most youth from disadvantaged families can afford the training. Most families save-up so that their children can attend the 12 week course." "A clear lesson is that entrepreneurs are difficult, if not impossible, to create, but they can be identified and supported,"says Palmer and perhaps that's what sums up best the spirit of G.E.P. The Hindu Young World |
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