June 22, 2023 – Since 2021, WPDI has been running a unique business initiative in Gabon, Cameroon and Chad, in partnership with UNESCO. The project, entitled “Young people, Weavers of Peace”, aims to create a network of 1,800 young leaders for peace and development in the cross-border regions of the three countries. Like many of the regions where WPDI operates around the world, this region of West Africa is vulnerable to conflict, insecurity and outbreaks of violence, which can include illicit trafficking. The countries suffer from deep-rooted socio-economic issues which have resulted in widespread poverty and few opportunities for young people. Lacking opportunities, these youths will often become prey to violent and criminal groups that will enroll them as foot soldiers and cannon-fodder in turf wars that have destabilized local communities, thereby contributing to reinforcing the drivers that brought them to bear in the first place.
The main objective of the “Weavers of Peace” project is to provide youths with different perspectives and opportunities in life. The first step in the project is to provide participants intensive training in Business Skills, including Social Entrepreneurship, and support them as they establish cooperative social enterprise projects. A turning point in this process is for the youth groups to prepare their business ideas and present them to a WPDI-established panel in a Pitch Project session.
On such pitch session took place in April 2023, with the following objectives:
- To promote the social project ideas developed by vulnerable young people;
- Contribute to the acquisition of a social and solidarity-based entrepreneurial culture among the youths;
- Develop a sense of civic commitment and collaborative initiative.
In the context of the Social Entrepreneurship program, the Pitch Project sessions provide an opportunity to participants to give a very short presentation of an idea focused on creating a profitable, feasible and sustainable community-based income-generating activity. The jury panel subsequently selects the most business ideas presenting a realistic chance of success in the local markets.
Winning projects are then granted special funding by UNESCO via WPDI, designed to help kickstart their projects to ensure success and sustainability. Each project also receives backstopping support from a WPDI business manager. During the April session, 15 projects were chosen representing 171 youths from across the Gabonese and Cameroonian border regions. We were also satisfied to note that the process demonstrated a significant measure of inclusion, since we had 88 female participants as well as 4 disability-affected youths. Each selected project was awarded a $6000 start-up capital grant to develop their business project.
These social development projects, we hope, will help boost socio-economic growth in these volatile border regions and provide real purpose to youths at risk of losing their way or being dragged into a spiral of illicit activities. WPDI firmly believes these business programs can make a real difference to the future prospects of youth participants and their communities, since the new businesses will bring new jobs and services that will contribute to make these places more sustainable and more vibrant.
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