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When one hears about Kijiji(this is a village in Langata,Nairobi), they would expect to find a somber mood engulfing the air; which is not the case, this after most of the people in the area lost their properties and businesses due to a fire that engulfed the area early this year. Most of the dwellers in the area being small scale traders lost their main sources of livelihoods and this played a significant role in informing the decision by EPTF to train the people on entrepreneurial skills and business development services including mentorship which will enable them to start over.
The idea to learn and be trained was welcomed and on Tuesday 3rd July 2018, the training began. 66 participants have been consistent in attending the sessions and due to the large turn out,they have been divided into two classes, one beginning at 8:30 am and the other at 11:00am each running for two hours.
“I thought I knew how to run my business well, but from the lesson today, I have realized that I have never done an evaluation for my business and now I take that as an assignment, to evaluate my business idea as I think of expanding”. The words of Betty Obiro, one of the trainees during one of the training sessions were a profound indication that indeed the trainings are of benefit to the people there.
As EPTF, we are hopeful that the lessons they will cover entirely will be able to equip them with skills to overcome their challenges and run stable and successful businesses. This cohort will be having their last class on Wednesday 25th July 2018 and thereafter participate in a graduation on Thursday 26th.
During the 4 weeks period, the entrepreneurs will undergo the following modules;
- Entrepreneurship foundation/concept
- Creativity and Idea Development
- Business Plan Preparation
- Sales and Marketing
- Business Records/Book keeping
- Money Management and Cash flow projections
- Banking and Overcoming Capital Challenge
- Legal Aspects in Business
- Community Transformation through business
- Business Networking.
As part of the training, the participants also get empowered spiritually both by the coordinating staff and also the trainers. For example, the business records trainer led a brief devotion from Proverbs 22:3 “A prudent man see danger and take refuge , but the simple keep going and suffer for it” and Proverbs 27:23 “Be sure to know the condition of your flock , give careful attention to your herds”. This was in reference to keeping records in order to be accountable in case anything comes up.
Mary Kamore, the EPTF CEO gave a devotion on; ‘Running to win’ and made reference to Philippians 3:14 where she reminded the participants that a business can and is likened to a competition and they must be prepared to win. ‘’Just like the players in the ongoing world cup, you must be prepared and when you fall, you must wake up and continue; when the business is destroyed by fire you will wake up and continue. But besides winning the earthly business success you need to win a heavenly price by running the race well….that is doing business in a godly manner and doing good that you are created to do, Ephesians 2:10’’
After the Entrepreneurial training, the participants will be trained on table banking, get attached to mentors for a period of 3 months and also be offered business development support services.