Twenty two young entrepreneurs in Borderline, Green Valley and Burnscreek receive their materials this week to start their new small-scale businesses enterprise in their communities.
The Group Leader for Young Entrepreneurs Component (YEC) Collin Albert congratulates these new business men and women and acknowledges their choice to improve their livelihoods through business initiatives.
“They choose paths to become a self-employers is a plus as there are limited job opportunities in the formal labor market.”
Their businesses range from bicycle repair, tailoring, furniture making, top-up agents to BBQ and food outlets and farming.
Greg Olitai, a young man who lives at Green valley repair bicycles, said he is happy to receive his propose materials that will boost his operation.
“In my community we youth loves riding bikes, but when it broke down we have nowhere else to fix it, so I decided make bicycle repair my business idea.”
“I practically collect old BMX bicycle frames and turn it into new bicycles that is affordable and durable.”
“I am grateful that Y@W Programme has helped me in terms of providing business training, tools and some spare parts that would help me in improving the work that I am doing and make my business grow successfully and become sustainable.”
Greg revealed that his small business will help sustain him and his young family. His customers include youth in Green Valley and other communities. His main selling spots include Honiara Central Market.
Another excited YEC participant, Myrah Toska, shares her gratitude upon receiving her materials for her business; lava-lava dying, she said; “With this opportunity I believe it will help me pay for my children’s school fee and my family’s basic needs.”
“So I am determined to make my new business work as my family’s future depends on it”, she said.
Collection of start-up materials continue this week and by end of November this takes the total number of successful small-scale business startups to one hundred.
Youth@Work is facilitated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, in partnership and supported by funding from the Queens Young Leaders Programme (UK), the Australian Government Aid Programme, the Pacific Leadership Programme and Plan International. Implementation is done in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of National Unity, Peace and Reconciliation, the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour and Immigration, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs. Youth@Work is an initiative to tackle youth unemployment in Solomon Islands and to help youth of the Solomon’s find pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.
