Haramaya University in collaboration with USAID conducted training under the theme “Empowering Youth as Positive Change Agents through Social Entrepreneurship”.
A total of 45 youth selected from Harari Regional State took part in the training that took place for one month.
After the one month training, certificates were awarded for the trainees, trainers and coordinators for successfully completing the training.
During the closing ceremony, Prof. Jema Haji Mohamed, Project Manager, highlighted that social entrepreneurship is a good fit for young people and is believed to have great potential to mobilize youth to engage in efforts to achieve major social objectives, including employment creation, poverty reduction, inclusion and integration.
Combining entrepreneurial behavior with markets, social entrepreneurship can serve as tools for meeting community needs and youth engagement in productive works, he added,
It was indicated that the project involved training the selected youth on social entrepreneurship and business plan development. It is designed by the team from Haramaya University and is funded by USAID, a partner against the fight to reduce poverty and food insecurity in the country.
During the training, potential social entrepreneurship sectors in Harari Regional State were identified and business plans were developed in groups on the selected social ventures.
During the closing ceremony, the trainees gave their feedback by emphasizing the role of the coordinators, trainers as well as Haramaya University and USAID for designing and managing the project and providing the training with qualified and well-equipped instructors who enabled them to gain tangible knowledge and skill that are game changing.
Besides, they explained that they would use the platform as an opportunity to provide trainings and share what they have got and acquired in this training to their friends.
Dr. Yisak Yousuf, Vice-president for Community Engagement and Enterprise Development, said that one of the pillars of Haramaya University is serving the community to solve the problem of the community.
He further added that an institute like Haramaya University at higher hierarchy of structure needs to integrate with strong body in the society. Youth are part and parcel of the society that can create link between the institutes and society, he highlighted.
In addition, Dr.Yisak also said developing capacity of the youth would facilitate action taken to solve the problem of the society. He congratulated the trainee for their patience to actively participate on the training and come up with draft business design to solve the societal problems and create employment for the productive force of the community and the support of Haramaya University is always there and will continue.
Dr.Yisak acknowledged USAID and Harari Youth, Women and Children Office for facilitating the training.
Mrs. Meftuha Aliyi, Deputy Head of Women, Children and Youth Affairs Bureau of Harari Region State, in her part thanked Haramaya University and USAID for providing the training to many of the unemployed but educated youth in our region.
Mrs. Meftuha added that such training expands youth’s job opportunities, enhances and generates their incomes and utilize their capacity to full potential.
Dr. Richard Wentzell, Dean-College of Law of Haramaya University, appreciated HU and USAID, project team, Harari Region State Women, Children and Youth Affairs Bureau as well as the trainees and said that the youth have the skill and the knowledge to start their own social enterprises which can address the main problems of the community in the region.