Small and Medium Enterprises in the country have received a major boost after a Foundation scaled up training to help them grow.
Munyiri Africa Foundation has been supporting business start-ups and especially youth-owned ventures through entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy training as well as providing seed capital since its inception in April last year.
The programme is aimed at mentoring and imparting relevant knowledge and skills to the youth which will help hone their business skills and start and sustain their business ventures.
Speaking while marking its first anniversary, MAF’s Founder Bishop David Thagana asserted that beneficiaries of the empowerment programme receive a boost in financial literacy training, market linkages, business networking with established entrepreneurs and financial access.
Thagana, who’s the Presiding Bishop at Glory Outreach Assembly Church as well as the Secretary General of the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya, noted that supporting youths as well as business start-ups is the surest shot at dealing with joblessness and poverty in the country.
He noted that a study has shown that most business start-ups in the country collapse after less than two years due to lack of business management knowledge as well as proper mentorship adding that MAF seeks to address such bottlenecks which will in turn empower thousands of youths economically.
“We have started a movement of empowered businesses, leading dignified lives and influencing positive change in our community, country and Africa at large. We want to eradicate poverty by promoting sustainable businesses as well as mentoring the next generation of business gurus and leaders,” Bishop Thagana.
The Bishop noted that youths have the potential to drive country’s socio-economic growth if mentored and given the opportunity.
He emphasized the importance of empowering young people to take on entrepreneurship and leadership roles in order to shape the future.
He however challenged the youth to utilize the little resources they have prudently and avoid unnecessary expenditures and instead save for the future.
“We will be linking the youth and other beneficiaries with industry players as well as financial institutions so that they can be equipped with requisite knowledge that will be of significant help in their entrepreneurship journey. I plead with our youth to desist engaging in activities that will lead to misuses of the meager resources they have like betting, drug abuse and alcoholism,” Thagana said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Monica Wairimu, an official at MAF, who said that private sector players including churches must rise to the occasion and help the youth in the country. This, she said, would complement the government’s efforts to tackle joblessness which is prevalent among the youth.
Youths led by Mary Waithera said that the programme has revived their fading hopes of excelling in their businesses as well as lives. They hailed the support and training as a shot-in-the-arm noting that it will play a pivotal role in promoting their enterprises.
“With the right knowledge and skills will be able to fully exploit even the funding opportunities that are made available to them by the government to sustain and grow our businesses. We believe we have the potential to actively participate in the growth of our country’s economy,” Waithera said.
Waithera quipped that MAF has provided them with a noble opportunity to right the wrongs in their lives and businesses and expect good proceeds. “We are calling on fellow youths with business ideas to join this programme and they will benefit,” she said.
Waithera also made a rallying call to the political class to avoid using innocent youths to satisfy their political interests and instead embark on empowerment programmes that will perk up their living standards.
