A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has embarked on a program that is equipping youth with basic entrepreneurial skills, training on how to access Government Procurement Opportunities and the basics of a tendering process. The NGO, is partnering with the government through the state department of youth affairs in efforts to limit the high rate of unemployment within the country.
Dubbed Entrepreneurship Training Programme (ETP), the NGO which is registered in Nairobi as a youth empowerment entity was formed by a group of businessmen who want to provide exposure to less privileged youth in the informal settlements and educate the young men and women as well as persons living with disabilities on opportunities in government to take advantage of, for socioeconomic empowerment. Through the NGO, the businessmen hope to also equip the young people with basic sales and Marketing skills and tools in the supplies industry; ranging from personal grooming, cladding, business language, to marketing tools.
Led by Chairman John Chomba, the organization has so far trained over 500 youths within Nairobi Slums and other wards within the city county. With this great success, plans are in high gear to devolve the program which will be spread to all the 47 counties of Kenya.
“ETP is a registered NGO based in Nairobi which involves a team of businessmen with a vision to empower youths. We train, mentor and nurture youths for a sustainable future,” said John Chomba the lead facilitator in an interview with thetruth.co.ke.
To qualify for admission into the program, the youths must have attained a high school education and completed fourth form.
The curriculum according to officials of the NGO is designed to inform the youth of the existing business opportunities and how to grab them with a special emphasis on the government project; AGPO. However, the training cuts across all government products.
The Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) program was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the year 2013 to ensure more youths get access to government tenders by ensuring that 30 per cent of all tenders is allocated to them together with women and people living with disability.
Speaking to press on the sidelines of a training session held on 25th of June 2019 at the Dagorretti South Empowerment Centre along Naivasha road, Mr. Chomba said training youths on the various opportunities available for their exploration will help reduce cases of youth involvement in crime, drug abuse and is a step towards building young self reliant entrepreneurs who with time will make use of the opportunities to improve their lives.
In a similar session at Orbit Baptist Church in Mathare Bondeni area on May 30, 2019, Chomba said their aim is to empower youths through pieces of training. Through theses pieces, the youth are enlightened and made aware of the many possibilities of doing business with government which is the highest spender.
“Our pieces of training are a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel. We want the youth to seize the moment, embrace mentorship and business nurturing to emerge successful in business and procurement,” said Chomba the lead facilitator.
“ Further, our aim is to train the youth on the process of acquiring all company mandatory documents and bank account opening,” added Chomba.
Apart from guiding the youth through the tendering process, the NGO has also established motivational sessions where successful youth from previous trainings share their insights and success stories with those who are in training.
“We cater for all the cost for the training including hire of venue, meals and facilitator’s allowance, ” said Chomba.
The ETP team mobilizes resources and training materials of their own to carry out its activities, it is also envisioned to empower unemployed youths through pragmatic Entrepreneurship training with a special eye on procurement and supplies business.
“The training program as currently constituted is a day’s activity with several trainers including motivational speakers and government youth officers. We target 50-80 trainees in each training session,” Chomba told the press in an interview.
He said they are willing to partner with any other organizations or individuals of good will who can sponsor the trainings in full or in part. So far, ETP has successfully trained youths in Kibra, Langata, Dandora and Embakasi Constituencies within Nairobi.
Speaking at the end of the training session where participants were awarded certificates of participation, Mercy Wangare, one of the beneficiaries of the program said she was very lucky to have acquired the knowledge that would enable her get financial support and procurement opportunities with government to continue delivering stationery to various schools.