YES-DRC Network Presentation

1. Campaign 2002-2012 YES-DRC NETWORK Campaign 2002-2012 YES-DRC NETWORK YES-DRC Network Presentation YES-DRC NETWORK PRESENTATION .

2. YES-DRC NETWORK COORDINATOR Title of Presentation: Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme in DRC MEXICO 4 - 7 October 2004 By Jules RAMAZANI

3. Target Group: Young people under 40 years old. Rationale for Intervention: Inadequacy between educational system and labour market needs; Lack of entrepreneurial culture (no creativity, no initiative) among young people; High rate (90%) of youth unemployment; and Lack of technical and financialsupport. Description of Project

4. Project Goals: • Promote youth entrepreneurship; and • Develop entrepreneurial culture among Young people. • Project Design Principles: • Observation; • Reflection; • Vision; • Inspiration; • Action. • Project Duration: • 2 Years(2002-2004) • Project Inputs: • Material resources; • Financial resources; and • Human resources.

5. Project Cycle • Conceptualization • The Programme was conceptualized and implemented in the first stage in Kinshasa (Capital city of DRC) by APEC – NGO [www.web-africa.org/apec] Team. • We are collaborating with: • ACEE of Quebec: technical support;

6. Paul Fortin, President of Accès Entreprise, Quebec: technical support. • Youth Development Network (YDN), South Africa: Technical and financial support. • Ministry of Industry & SMEs: Moral support; • Ministry of Youth and sports: Moral and material support; and • FEC (Federation of Enterprises of Congo): moral and material support. • Implementation: Our Methodology consists in implanting and animating: • Student Entrepreneurs Clubs in the Universities and High Schools – Entrepreneurship in School; • Young Entrepreneurs Clubs in the local areas – Young Mentorship pilot project.

7. What are the results? • Numbers of persons reached by the activities • Student Entrepreneurs Club project: - 55 Students: 19-25 Years old - 45 Males and 10 Females • Young Entrepreneurs Club project, Mentorship Pilot project: • 10 Mentors: 7 Males and 3 Females • 10 Protégés: 9 Males and 1 female

8. Response from Community The beneficiaries of the programme are: • Young students in Universities and High schools; • Young entrepreneurs; and • Others young people unemployed. • YES Framework for Action YES-DRC Network favour youth entrepreneurship promotion as a effective strategy to fight poverty and youth unemployment in DR Congo.

9. Plans for the future • To strengthen (to reinforce) and consolidate the current actions; • To develop new projects in the Biodiversity and renewable energies areas; • To develop partnership with the international organizations, other donors, private sector; • To extend the YES-DRC Network activities in nation-wide (in all country provinces).

10. Challenges and lessons learnt • Problems Faced Since 2002 YES-DRC Network is working in a very tough situation because of the facts below: • Political instability: 4 years of war and rebellions; • Bad governence; • Lack of National Employment policy; • Lack of National Youth Ploicy;

11. Economic crisis; • Cultural Obstacles among young people and in the community level facing the new inititiatives development, especially in entrepreneurship area; • Youth Poverty. • New knowledge • We understand that to succeed in our work we must build strengthen partnerships with many stakeholders (Government, Education institutions, Medias, International organizations, financial institutions and other donors). • YES-DRC Network must be professionnal to be competitive in the national and world-wide level. Thank you for your attention!