As one way of financially empowering vulnerable young people in Dowa district, ZOE ministry has imparted business management skills to 37 youths who are currently running various businesses from the area of Traditional Authority Chakhaza.
The five-day training which was facilitated by Small and Medium Enterprise Development Institute’s business trainer, covered a wide range of areas including costing and pricing, records keeping, business planning, sources of finance and many others.
Speaking during the closing of the training at Madisi Secondary School, Country Director for ZOE, Mercy Chikhosi Nyirongo said the training was organized to equip the youths, who are under the support of the organization with necessary skills on how to improve their small scale businesses.
”As ZOE ministry, we saw that most of the youths are doing business but they don’t have skills and knowledge on business and financial management.” Mrs.Nyirongo highlighted.
”Therefore the training was organized to empower them with skills so that they take their businesses seriously and professionally, so that they should be creative for the growth of their careers.” She added.
Mrs. Nyirongo however urged the youths to put into practice the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the training and that they should teach others.
The director also said the training is going to help the youths venture into other business related fields as they can still use the same knowledge they have gotten from the training.
In his remarks, the training facilitator from SMEDI, Mike Misomali concurred with Mrs. Nyirongo, adding that most of the youths in the country fail to go further with their businesses due to lack of planning.
Mr. Misomali therefore said that the entrepreneurial skills that the youths have been taught will help them in the advancement of their dealings.
”It is my plea that the youths should first acquire entrepreneurial skills for them to be successful in their businesses.” Commented Misomali.
One of the participants who also owns a beauty salon, Suki Makalani commended ZOE for the training, saying it will bring many positives in her business, as she has been enlightened on how to be a successful business person.
Some of the businesses the youths are doing in the area under the support from ZOE include, Baking, Tailoring, Welding, Farming and Carpentry.
