July 11, 2023 – One of the primary goals of WPDI’s programs is to develop and nurture young people to become agents of change in their communities, many of which have been ravaged by conflict. In these underprivileged communities, access to pedagogical courses that provide the tools and skills necessary for financial independence are rare. Years of fieldwork has reinforced our belief that lasting peace cannot be achieved if young people and women are unable to access economic opportunities and generate solid income for their families and their communities.
That is why we developed our Business Bootcamp program, a unique platform through which participants can learn entrepreneurship skills that will serve them for life, and subsequently, apply to business plan competitions that we organize in collaboration with local officials and stakeholders to identify and support promising projects. To ensure that they are sustainable and viable, the businesses are monitored for at least one year after they have been created, with funds disbursed on condition that beneficiaries comply with our recommendations. Each phase of the program – training, competition and follow up – is intended to address a critical challenge that entrepreneurs face in general and even more acutely in underprivileged communities, namely the insufficiency of skills, the scarcity of capital and the lack of backstopping
In the first half of 2023, WPDI enrolled a new cohort of 225 aspiring entrepreneurs in the Acholi Sub-Region, Uganda. They were first taken through the six-month training program based on our tried and tested curriculum. In March and April, a special training session focused on business project development, designed to prepare participants for their later participation in the Business Plan Competition.
At this later stage of the training, the objective is for trainees to define their business goals and marketing strategy as our trainers and experts help them clarify and formulate their ideas. The trainees – 75 youths and 150 women – were taken through a validation process of their business ideas and were asked to answer a number of difficult questions regarding the major components of their businesses, covering external factors (target market, competitive analysis, and prospective customers) and internal ones (marketing, finance, and unique selling propositions). All the business plans were discussed using a participatory method of learning to make it simpler for easy understanding and knowledge sharing.
“The business training course has made me successful in the effective management and operation of my business. I was shocked one day when all the buyers were coming to my stall and yet many of us in the market were selling the same product. The person next to my stall asked me “How are you selling more?” and I proudly answered: “I am a trained businesswoman from WPDI. I was trained to be welcoming and jolly, and make an attractive display of my products.” said Adong Gifty, a WPDI beneficiary from Lii Sub-County, Nwoya County.
In May, a first Business Plan Presentation session was held. This is the third phase of the WPDI Business Bootcamp program. The youths and women presented the fundamentals of their business projects to the jury, explaining what they plan to do, who their target customers are, how their businesses will operate and to convince the review committee that they are fully prepared to operate their business.
“The business plan presentation was very well organized. The team of review committees was very knowledgeable. Their experience was worthwhile and very helpful. They opened my eyes to possible mistakes that the group was already making that would make us lose our money. Thanks to their advice, we are now very hopeful that we are going to run our business in a way that will benefit us and our customers, and bring a change to our living conditions. I’m very grateful to WPDI for this program. Thank you so much,” said Oyella Susan, Chairperson, Tic Ki Niye Produce Dealer.
Beyond the basic entrepreneurship training and the competitive process, the Business Bootcamp also involves numerous workshops and courses for participants to continue to develop their business skills. A group dynamic workshop was held in June to train participants on the risks and opportunities that arise from working in teams, a key issue when the businesses supported by WPDI are cooperatives – as was the case with the present cohort. The goal is to prepare members to better engage in group projects such as Village Savings and Loans (VSLAs) which are micro-finance schemes based on fund pooling among local groups. Leadership and management structures can also be strengthened through important sessions on the introduction of group dynamics and stages in group formation, leadership functions, and their application, the concept of group cohesion and responsibilities, decision-making in leadership, management styles and planning, and lastly development of activity work plan for the group. All in all, beyond the obvious success that thriving businesses represent by their very existence, the success of the program lies in its capacity to empower participants as learners, entrepreneurs and project managers, helping them catalyze their potential into revenues benefiting themselves and their families as well as services that benefit the community as a whole.
This program is made possible thanks to the financial support of a foundation that wishes to remain anonymous.