There is no right time to start a business even the youth in the tender ages can make it they shouldn’t question themselves if they are eligible to start their own company. However, the fact is the magic of starting a business is more likely successful when some-one is young differently to the people in older ages that have short life lifespan to try their chances.
According to National strategy for transformation policy targets youth as the engineer of the development and economic growth through job creation instead of being job seekers.
In the wake to reduce unemployment among the youth in Rwanda which is on the 21% many schools nurture innovative ideas to be able to train the youth to bridge that gap. The ambition to develop a knowledge-based society and the growth of regional and global competition in the jobs market has necessitated the shift of schools to a competence based curriculum to address the issue of the shortage of appropriate skills in the Rwandan education system.
One of the tangible outcome of this curriculum are students who are able to apply entrepreneurial attitudes and approaches to challenges and opportunities in school and after, plan and manage micro-projects small and medium enterprises as well as taking risking business ventures critical thinking and other initiatives.
That’s the format for many schools including those of Riviera High School, Dove International Academy, Lycee De Kigali in collaboration with the youth organization’s empowering their fellow youth to start small and medium enterprises in the wake to impact Private Sector Led-Economy.
According to Danson Musyoki-Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Finance and administration, KIM universities, says, white collar job is becoming more competitive not only in Rwanda but the region triggering the universities to think what to do on the matter. Therefore, knowing how to empower students not only in the academic but also creativity is the practical skills that are more valuable.
“You are better priest to transform Africa’s economy to another level you have the all necessities of the internet issue providing you with the information accessibility regarding market research,” she says.
David Niyonsaba, Country Director, AISEC Rwanda, the world’s largest youth-run organization impacting the world through providing youth with meaningful leadership development experiences says, the fact that every university in Rwanda have a module of the curriculum of the entrepreneurship should not be taken for granted but rather to exploit the skills and start their own business.
“We encourage youth to start their own business but we don’t hold their hands in terms of giving them the mentors and tangible support which is the main challenge behind all this The sustainable development of the country belongs to the youth especially when it comes to the boosting the youth entrepreneurs,” he says.
“Every 18 richest person in the world has over 3 million people under him or her who are very poor and the big challenge of this is especially the education system that teaches the formula’s instead of inculcating the creativity among them,” says, Frank Rubaduka, a University student and the Founder of the All trust Consult, a company that trains young students to start their own projects.
“Robots are replacing the human capital and those who have rigid knowledge will not be able to find jobs in the digital era but only those with innovation and wide range of knowledge,” He adds.
Christian Ikuzwe, the Co-founder of the Academic Bridge Rwanda, the company that provides the data processing information to support registration of students, school staff, attendance, work and school payments for him despite the Government’s efforts to inculcate entrepreneurship spirit but there are tendencies of the youth start-ups that fail in their first phases due rushed decisions and poorly prepared because they have heard the call from the Government.
However, patience and passion pays in the long run especially when you are young. “Again doing business doesn’t necessarily mean that you have enrolled the business courses in the classroom but only the unique talent and the burning love of being a business person,” he says.
“Some people forget of who they are because of the social pressure and desire to be like others especially among the youth. The band wagon effect is very dangerous don’t pretend to be like others to avoid the many start-ups that produce with the same thing instead creating new things,” says
“There is nothing good like being yourself in the creativity,” she adds.
Africa is at present officially the world’s second fastest growing region and the sharp rising demands in this new emerging market can currently not be met efficiently by supply.
By Francis Byaruhanga
The Express News
