Yei Youths Leave Entrepreneurship Bootcamp with Plans to Turn Skills into Businesses

(YEI RIVER COUNTY)— When Emmanuel Alafi arrived at an entrepreneurship training in Yei, he already had ideas for projects he wanted to pursue. What he lacked was the confidence and technical knowledge to turn those ideas into clear proposals that could attract potential partners.

Three days later, after completing an entrepreneurship bootcamp, Mr Alafi, an agriculturalist and diploma graduate, said he was leaving the training with a better understanding of how to develop project proposals and turn ideas into practical opportunities.

‎“I learned a lot during the training, particularly about project proposals. The skills I gained will help me develop better proposals that can attract the attention of potential partners,” he said.

Alafi was among 20 young people who attended a bootcamp organised by Koneta Hub in Yei. The programme focused on entrepreneurship, innovation and business development, with participants drawn from different professional and educational backgrounds.

He said the skills would help him strengthen his future projects and encouraged Koneta Hub to extend similar programmes to more young people in Yei, Morobo and Lainya counties.

Bettress Mercy Kennedy, a registered nurse in Yei, said the bootcamp provided a chance to look beyond her professional career and explore how she could develop her own business.

Mercy, who learned about the programme through an online application and applied, said the training exposed her to new knowledge and practical skills that she hopes to apply to her business plans.

She also went away with a better understanding of what it takes to run a business, including anticipating challenges, understanding competition and finding practical ways to respond to problems.

Their experiences reflected the purpose of the bootcamp: equipping young people with practical skills they can use to create opportunities for themselves while developing solutions to challenges in their communities.

Speaking during the closure of the bootcamp, Gaga Frank Osman, chairman of the Yei Youth Association, commended Koneta Hub for investing in young people’s entrepreneurial and innovative abilities.

He said the training encouraged participants to look at problems in their communities not simply as obstacles, but as opportunities to develop solutions.

Osman said he would use the knowledge gained to encourage other young people to embrace entrepreneurship and take a more active role in addressing challenges within their communities.

He added that the skills could also help young entrepreneurs manage their businesses more effectively, particularly when they face difficulties and have to make decisions about how to respond.

The programme was designed to go beyond teaching participants how to start businesses.

Deneya Denis, Executive Director of Koneta Hub, said young people have the potential to create solutions to problems in their communities when they are given the right skills and support.

He said the bootcamp challenged participants to look beyond existing opportunities, understand the difficulties entrepreneurs face and pay attention to the needs of potential customers.

Denis also expressed hope that the participants would share what they learned with other young people and become ambassadors for entrepreneurship and innovation in their communities.

The training comes at a time when young people in South Sudan face limited employment and business opportunities, making entrepreneurship and innovation important pathways for creating livelihoods and responding to community needs.

Koneta Hub is a youth-focused organisation that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation and digital skills among young people in South Sudan.