MOMBASA RESOURCE CENTRE LAUNCHED

Building on over 10 years of successful experience with young entrepreneurs, wefinallylaunched our first Resource Centre in Mombasa on the 5^th of August 2011. As we sang the hymn Great is THY faithfulness during the launch, it was indeed a moment of reflection for the Board, Staff and stakeholders of EPTF.

The guests were drawn from various groups who are in involved in youth empowerment such as Pastors, Youth Enterprise Development Fund, Mombasa Constituency Development Fund office, ASSIST Denmark, EPTF Board and staff, EPTF alumni, Facilitators, Mentors and the Business Community around Mombasa.

This centre is aimed at increasing business start-up success and promoting sustainable businesses among young entrepreneurs in Mombasa by offering information and business support services. This will in turn contribute to wealth creation by increasing employment and income generating opportunities for the young entrepreneurs.

Gilbert Mayar, an alumni of EPTF who runs Cornerstone Woodworks, a furniture business, was instrumental in making the conference tables, door, wall partitions and lockable cabinets in the resource centre. These were done to perfection and are a testimony of the quality of entrepreneurs that EPTF has empowered. Gilbert has two employees.

Mariam, another alumni of EPTF shared her experience on how the training opened her eyes to seize opportunities around her. This prompted her to start Junior Stars, the first football academy in Mombasa. Besides training on football skills, the academy offers mentoring services for young girls and also empowers the community with knowledge on HIV/AIDS by holding regular workshops. Since the training, Mariam has been able to empower over one thousand people in the region and has over 20 employees. To Mariam, the centre is an answered prayer and an opportunity to access business development services to many young people who need these services.

The centre will also act as a platform for entrepreneurs to access business incubation services with basic office amenities and information though internet access, business journals and literature.  The guest speaker, Mr. Michael Mbugua of Pistis Insurance Brokers Company donated resource materials worth Ksh.30, 000/= towards the centre. These materials include leadership, financial and motivational books and DVDs that will be accessed by young entrepreneurs on a regular basis.

In a country that has the youth forming 60% of the active labor force, we are proud to have worked with a number of them as well as opened up more opportunities towards their realization of meaningful sources of livelihood. We thank ASSIST Denmark for supporting this initiative and look forward to opening more centres in the different counties in the country.

As we continue to see many individuals like Gilbert and Mariam benefit from our services and witness how they have in turn transformed their communities, we realize that many more people should benefit. We are eager to end their wait for help…but we cannot do it without you.

Click here for services offered at the Resource Centre