Youth Entrepreneurship : Guiding youth to success 

Youth entrepreneurship has become the newest phase of empowering talented individuals to ace their avenues of life with a passion. Although this concept is still gaining momentum, many young people living in remote areas have got opportunities to see the world differently. This has boosted their lifestyles not only because they can earn good money but they also can live a quality life.

Looking at this new concept positively, the Daily Mirror Life listened to the voices of a few young buds to understand its pros and cons.

Gangani

I think it is dedicated for the lives of young people like us. It motivates young people to achieve their targets with some proper guidance.

Thamasha

There are challenges as well. Some of us are not fluent in English. I think without English we cannot conquer the world. So there are challenges like fluency, etiquette which should be taken into consideration.

Huzny

It allows the youth to earn some good money without them having to seek for foreign employment and move to overseas for odd jobs. They can earn a living from doing what they like. Also programs like these help them to get a good exposure by networking with people and making contacts.

Ramesh

It has its pros and cons. Those who have exceptional talents can easily pass through these programmes. Sometimes they only choose a handful to represent the country or a particular brand. So there is a chance of luck as well.

Youth empowerment and entrepreneurship programs in Sri Lanka 

AIESEC Sri Lanka - AIESEC Sri Lanka develops the next generation of young leaders with impactful professional and volunteering experiences to activate their potential. AIESEC International offers a platform for youth volunteers to work abroad as interns while giving them an exposure to the international arena.

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) - WUSC provides training for marginalized youth and women in Sri Lanka to:

§ learn the skills and access resources necessary to find employment in areas such as carpentry, masonry, mechanics and electronics;
§ better support themselves and their family members, helping to end the cycle of poverty;
§ learn “life skills” to help them in their jobs and daily lives (e.g. money management, small business development, nutrition, health, gender equality awareness);
§ focus on women finding higher-income jobs to increase visibility and social acceptance of women in “non-traditional” jobs.

Youth for Business Sri Lanka (YBSL) – The Youth for Business Sri Lanka (YBSL) is a National Organization helping Sri Lankan Youth to start up their own businesses, by providing access to credit and a volunteer business mentor. Modelled on the principles of the Youth Business International (YBI), of which it is an accredited member, YBSL was launched in Hambantota district as a pilot programme and has been in operation for over 12 years.

Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka - Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) is the National Host organization for the Global Entrepreneurship Week. YESL is a non-profit organization, financed by businesses, foundations and individuals, to educate and inspire young children from primary school through high school to value free enterprise, understand Business and Economics, to be self-dependent and become a potential entrepreneur. YESL is the host for Junior Achievement Worldwide programs in Sri Lanka and implements JA Worldwide curricula.

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
Photographs by Nisal Baduge