One Youth Forum helps young entrepreneurs to endure, overcome and bounce back better
Two small enterprises owned by young people each received a major financial windfall earlier this month when they won a pitching competition run by the One Economy Foundation at a youth forum designed to help young entrepreneurs bounce back better after the lockdown.
In the competition, young businessmen and businesswomen pitched both live and online to give all participating enterprises a chance of winning. Entries came from across the country.
In the end, two participants emerged victorious, Elivi Shinedima from Ndjuluwa97 Academy and Andreas Elifas from Jumper Namibia. Shinedima won N$30,000 and Elifas N$20,000 for the growth of their businesses.
The forum was sponsored by the Embassy of Ireland in Lusaka with co-sponsors, Coca-Cola Namibia and Start-Up Namibia Incubation Centre helping to make the event a roaring success.
Following a visit to Namibia by the Minister of Children and Youth Affairs of Ireland, several avenues were explored to reach young entrepreneurs through the continuing work of the One Economy Foundation.
The foundation’s founder, First Lady Monica Geingos, said that the forum recognised the importance of young entrepreneurs as the backbone to reinvigorate the Namibian economy as the country emerges from the devastating lockdown.
With formal cooperation between the foundation and the Irish Embassy now established, the stage is set to support youth entrepreneurs and provide them with the tools to overcome, endure and emerge well-prepared to pursue new opportunities.
“Ireland is pleased to contribute to the One Economy Foundation in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we are supportive of its work in assisting young entrepreneurs deal with the challenges in the area of mental health. The pandemic has impacted on how we all work and presents new stresses and demands on everybody. It is important that young entrepreneurs are assisted in dealing with the stress and learn appropriate coping skills. We are very impressed with the work of One Economy Foundation and we hope that our support will help the Foundation with its important work,” said the Ambassador of Ireland to Zambia and Namibia, HE Séamus O’Grady.
Elivi Shinedima (right) of Ndjuluwa97 Academy and Andreas Elifas of Jumper Namibia won large cash prizes for their enterprises in a pitching competition run by the One Economy Foundation during the One Youth Forum hosted earlier this month.
