Young people growing up in rural areas tend to lack confidence in their abilities and avoid taking risks, which hampers community development. To overcome this and help them realise their full potential, MVG has trained over 620 young adults in various skills such as welding, carpentry, borehole drilling, beekeeping, soap production, and other income-generating activities compatible with sustainable development.
This year, we launched Hope Rising, a new scheme focusing on local teenagers aged 13 to 20 who have exited the realm of formal education. After six months of training, we help them launch and finance their own small businesses. The first cohort, composed of 28 teenagers, will graduate in November 2024. We are hoping to expand this program in 2025 to include 60 teenagers per cohort.
Astrida, a student in MVG’s entrepreneurship program, is demonstrating how cultural beliefs and traditions can affect girls’ success, and how she overcame them to build her confidence.
Form-one dropout Fibi used to think getting married was her only route out of poverty. But after building her confidence via our entrepreneurship training, she is now starting a tailoring business.
Isaya did not let his poor exam results destroy his dreams. “MVG’s entrepreneurship program has changed my attitude towards becoming an entrepreneur. I now want to build my own clean energy system. This will help me create employment for many other people while benefiting our environment.”
