From the 5th – 9th March, WPDI and its partner GEMINI Enterprises Africa part of ORASCOM group joined forces on a field mission to promote youth empowerment and economic development in South Sudan, strengthening the skills of 127 young entrepreneurs actively engaged in the development of 4 community businesses.
Orascom & Gemini are Egyptian companies operating in several nations around the world founded by Mr. Naguib Sawiris.
The delegation consisting of Mr. Adly Thoma the CEO of Gemini Enterprises Africa, Mrs Mona Fayek the OTMT Chairman Philanthropic Affairs & Mr. Hani Naguib entrepreneurship trainer and mentor, conducted three field visits over 4 days. They started in the Kapoetas, where 56 youth were trained in relation to the two distinct brick businesses we helped establish there. They then moved to train 43 young women and men from Torit, which hosts a farming business and, finally, 28 youth actively developing a poultry business in Nimule.
The joint mission took place in the newly established partnership among WPDI and ORASCOM group to foster youth entrepreneurship in South Sudan as part of WPDI’s broader objective to promote lasting peace and sustainable development in a country where the fates of young people are severely affected by an ongoing conflict that has killed dozen thousands of people and displaced close to 4 million people.
Mobilizing its social inclusion branch, the Gemini Enterprises Africa, ORASCOM conducted extensive work to maximize the support they could provide to the youth-operated businesses. Their main mission was of course to train the young entrepreneurs, but also to take a full account of their context. As for the social inclusion dimension of the project, they met with the advisory councils that WPDI requested the youth leaders to establish in their counties, with a view to ensure local monitoring and ownership for their activities. For all the four concerned businesses, the team also visited premises, assessing their most concrete aspects, including management, revenue, expenses, etc.
Aiming at making these nascent businesses viable enterprises, the GEMINI team held discussions with the youth, pointing to gaps and challenges and issuing recommendations to enhance operations and generate additional revenue.
The youth recognized that much remains to be done but committed to work hard and meet the goals set by their mentors and sponsors – in the true spirit of the Youth Peacemaker Network.
The last day of their mission, the delegation visited children in the Protection of Civilians (PoCs) sites managed by the United Nations Mission in Juba. The group also visited WPDI’s community learning center in Juba. Orascom’s support will build child-safe playgrounds for internally displaced children in the PoCs as well as at the community learning center.
Mr. Adly Thoma, CEO of Gemini Enterprises Africa
"I am very pleased & excited to visit South Sudan & the community businesses in the successful joint mission with WPDI. We are impressed by the positive life changing programs launched on ground.
Gemini Enterprises Africa objective is to support youth creating a better future for themselves, their families & their society to alleviate poverty & elevate communities through sustainable partnership. Sponsoring & growing youth projects will definitely create a ripple effect that can shape the future of the country.
We seek to be an integral part in changing the life of the bright youth by creating employment, introducing income generating projects, encouraging economic sustainability, promoting entrepreneurship & value creation, empowering women & society inclusion, adopting local culture & improving skills by offering high quality trainings, setting up local enterprises & field partnership, leveraging technology and knowledge."
