COMMUNITY MICROFINANCE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

Community Microfinance Youth Entrepreneurship Program (CMYEP) training provides a unique experience for youth to take an idea of their own and turn it into an actual business that serves their community and also helps them get a livelihood. A number of youth in Uganda do not have an opportunity to startup businesses and those that have started do not cerebrate their first birthday. Our programming is built around the idea that youth shouldn’t just learn the concept of entrepreneurship -they should get the chance to put it into practice.

Our program provides youth with the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial efforts within their community to create an economically self-sustaining community. Youth learn how to capture a market share of their “micro-economy” (i.e. the money that circulates in their environment), and they get to determine how to use the profits from their businesses for re-investment and taking care of their everyday needs like health feeding, and school fees.

Lawrence Ssenyonga is a primary five dropout from a family of eight children. His parents cannot not afford to pay school fees for all the eight children. Lawrence attended a technical skills training in carpentry but lacked the capital. He managed to acquire an tool kit but it got broken in a short period.

Community micro finance trained his group in entrepreneurship and offered the group small loans.

Ssenyonga Lawrence at his workshop

Ssenyonga Lawrence displays his broken tool kit

Sarah Nanyonjo at her home

Sarah Nanyonjo harvesting

Mathew Kyaterekera at his home

Mathew Kyaterekera in his garden

Mathew Kyaterekera after harvesting sugar canes for sell.

Group members of Kibujjo sharing hands on experiences with each other

COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING