The Tribune

UNEMPLOYED youngsters were given a chance to learn about entrepreneurship in a government course.

This came thanks to a one-week rigourous crash course presented by CARICOM and the Bahamas Ministry of Youth.

The Creative for Employment and Business Opportunity (CEBO) course brought facilitators from around the Caribbean to the Bahamas to pass on valuable entrepreneurial skills to 21 young people determined to reach their goals.

The young people, ages 18 to 25, were chosen from inner city communities according to advice from Urban Renewal offices and the Ministry of Youth.

Participants said disillusionment was replaced with hope and a tangible way forward at the end of the week-long training, held at Thompson Boulevard.

After being placed into groups, they were asked to come up with company names and logos, and were given the tools to create a company structure and generate balance sheets.

They developed marketing ideas and used a face-to-face approach, telemarketing and social media to promote their products, which ranged from T-Shirts with slogans that young people use today, to a cupcake company with unique names for its products like, “The Referendum” and “Cutter” cupcakes. Slogans like, “Proper Ting” and “1-800-Call Me!” were devised as selling strategies, and caused each of the groups to return a profit.

Their hard efforts were rewarded as the CEBO bank returned half of the money that each company accessed through the start-up loan.

The twenty-one participants walked away with enough money to invest in their business to continue creating the products, plus some cash in their pockets.

It’s the kind of success that Dr Hilary Brown, CEBO programme director was hoping for.

“My heart is full,” she said. “I have been truly inspired by the young people who participated in this workshop. They have really represented themselves and their country well. Talented, creative, enthusiastic, they went to the task, showed their commitment, and we were all really impressed by how they conducted themselves and made the most of the opportunity.”

Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson closed out the CEBO programme Saturday, January 26 with a charge for young people to continue to nurture the relationships they have gained even when the facilitators go back to their respective Caribbean countries.

“Youth unemployment in this region is at an all time high,” said Dr Johnson. “Crime and violence affects this group of people the most.

“Pregnancy, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, chronic diseases; this group is under assault. Our role is to stand together and protect ourselves. So we are really happy that CEBO connected with us.

“We want young people in the Bahamas to know that the Ministry is here for you, we are here to help. It isn’t just the money they got (from CEBO), its the point behind the purpose – that young people are truly empowered to enrich their lives and the nation.”

D’Asante Beneby led the “Bahama Treats” company, said: “We seek to add Bahamian culture into everything we do”.

She said the programme made her charged up enough to have faith that they could “take over the Bahamas” with their Bahamian-themed pastries.

Charles Deveaux led the “Baby Maintenance” company, a general maintenance company.

His energetic group considered that things that people treasure, and often call their baby.

So this group of young men detail cars, paint houses, mow lawns and much more.

He has high hopes that his team will stay together.

He said the programme showed him that, “you cannot give up, and we are proud because not every day you find people out there willing to help young people get the boost they need to succeed.

Teron Munroe of STAT Design and Iesha Thompson of Sweetly Different were also team leaders who spoke highly of the week-long programme.