Youth Entrepreneurship

2024 January 17th

Youth program beneficiaries and U-AUBEN students express freely their opinion at the ‘’Exchange and Support Workshop on Youth Entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso’’

Among the key strategies promoted by Flare of Light is YOUTH VOICE TO BE HEARD. On this day, opportunity is provided to young women and men to express their opinion on the capacity building and leadership activity they benefited from.

Alida Conseiga, Student. It was really a moment of sharing experiences with some comrades and, I can say, even entrepreneurship professionals; and that’s where I understood that sharing experiences; and the workshop allowed us to get back on our feet and to strengthen our capacity in entrepreneurship. With that, ideas are born. During the sessions, you see facts and ideas unfold before you, ideas for entrepreneurship

Timothée Sakpegni. ‘’We have learned many things, notably that entrepreneurship is a field that we must necessarily embrace because the Civil Service no longer wants the recently graduating students and us. I also learned that it is a path that must be followed because there are many who undertake, but you must have your own brand that makes the difference with others

Ines Nikiema At the end of this workshop, I learned a lot about entrepreneurship. First, to start a business, you need to have a good vision and start in a field that you love and that you are passionate about. It must be said that entrepreneurship is not an easy field. You are going to have obstacles. You will fall. However, you must never give up

Raymond Barry, Student. The panelists gave us many ideas for those who had no ideas and were afraid of launching into entrepreneurship. Those who already had businesses and who were not afraid of launching into entrepreneurship, this workshop reinforces what each of us had about it

2023 October 27th

Launch of the Youth Advisory Council of Flare of Light Burkina Faso

2023 October 27th Launch of the Youth Advisory Council. Burkina Faso
Installed by the Country Director of F.O.L- BF, Mr Theophane Nikyema on this day, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) had the opportunity to get familiar and share their profile. These five (5) members including two (2) women are known to have forged their path. They will provide and guide F.O.L Burkina Faso with their expertise and solid business knowledge. They committed to fully participate in the success of the program. After the discussion, the Coordinator was appointed

Mr Claude François Ouedraogo thanked the group for his nomination and assured them of his full availability for teamwork
The secretariat shall be administered by Mr Desire Yameogo, Deputy Country Director and Mrs Ye Rokiatou Bougouma/Ouattara, Programe Coordinator

1st Youth Advisory Council

2023 June Flare of Light announces the creation of its 1st Youth Advisory Council

To promote the meaningful participation of young people in its country programs, Flare of Light (FOL) has initiated the creation of Youth Advisory Council (CCJ).

The CCJ is a body that provides strategic guidance to the FOL country office and contributes to the success of its programs and the visibility of its work. It reviews and makes recommendations on the development and implementation of programs, plans and organizational priorities.

The CCJ is composed of voluntary members appointed by the Country Director for an initial term of two (2) years renewable. They are chosen from the public, private and academic sectors in the fields of economics, business, development, communication, philanthropy, human rights, education, media and ICTs.

The 1st group of CCJ members who have been coopted are as follow:

Express Freely

2023 May 26th young program beneficiaries express freely their opinion.

“On behalf of all participants, I wish to thank Flare of Light and its partner the Institute of Research on Applied Sciences and Technology on the quality of the training”.

“One of the lesson I learned is that we need to be well organized and to produce quality processed agri-food products. I also learned, among other things, the rules of hygiene, conservation and storage. This includes taking the necessary steps to ensure personal cleanliness, the environment, the products and the processing equipment used”.

“This training on the processing of agri-food products not only meets my need to undertake, but also my desire to train other young people with the same aspiration”

Underserved young entrepreneurs particularly young women.

We set a target

EXPECTED RESULTS

Underserved young entrepreneurs particularly young women.

Disadvantaged youth in particular young women are trained to transform their initiative into a functioning and viable small agribusiness.
A maximum of 50 young people are trained in human rights and citizenship
Young entrepreneurs are enriched with business experiences through appropriate mentorship
Operational capacities, coordination and visibility of Country Office actions are strengthened.

Write A Beautiful Motive

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Complementarity between partners,
Participation of young people in the program (beneficiaries and actors),
Strengthen the use of ICT in actions
Engage in a formal partnership with several national institutions supporting entrepreneurship.

All young people, no matter their background, deserve the best network of influencers who offer sound mentorship for their self-development.

Hakim Belembaogo, President and C.E.O of Flare of Light

*Further imagination and planning are needed to deal with the challenges currently haunting young people in Burkina Faso such as employment.

Jacob Badolo, President of CAID

In 2019, Flare of Light (FOL) and Community Actions for Integrated Development (CAID) signed a Partnership Convention for the Implementation of the Project on Youth Entrepreneurship in Burkina Faso. The project supports the initiatives of 25 youth in need to either create or strengthen their small business. It also looks for purpose to fight intergenerational poverty.

Goal

This project aims to increase young people's capacity for creativity and entrepreneurship to promote self-employment.

Write A Beautiful Motive

Objectives

Sensitize and train young women and men in the field of entrepreneurship, marketing; information and communication technologies with the aim to create and develop their own business.
Enable young people to improve their communication business strategy.
Facilitate young people's access to corporate finance structures.
Foster sharing of entrepreneurship experiences.

Write A Beautiful Motive

Expected main results

Unemployed youth are supported in the design and implementation of their projects, after which special microenterprise funding is provided
Young people use new information and communication technologies to achieve and grow their business.
Young girls and boys entrepreneurs connect with mentors and share their experiences.
Engage in a formal partnership with several national institutions supporting entrepreneurship.

The project is guided by the principles of ethics, quality and cost-effective approach. It is built on a participatory planning and monitoring process. It combines capacity building and accompanying measures particularly coaching and financial support. It targets vulnerable young population leaving in difficult circumstances and unable to benefit from the financial institutions facilities to realize their dream.