Diamond Trust Bank (U) LTD (DTB) and the Aga Khan Entrepreneurship Programme have embarked on a programme to support entrepreneurship skills at Aga Khan School for both primary and secondary students.
The aim of the programme is to assess the level of creativity among the youth and determine the level of enterprise in line with business creation, control and management to lay foundation to facilitate students in secondary and tertiary institutions to become job creators.
In line with this programme, DTB is provided support to the Entrepreneurship Grand Open House Competition 2019 programme which supports and encourages students to learn to exploit opportunities and become job creators as opposed job seekers.
This year’s programme was aimed at teaching students how to develop business proposals; business plans that most budding entrepreneur’s lack.
Speaking during an exhibition, DTB’s Ronald Kasaanya in charge of PR and Brand Engagementsaid “It’s one thing to have a business idea and another to actually develop a business proposal and plan. In Uganda today, most businesses never celebrate their first birthdays simply because the owners never have long term plans for these businesses.”
The Aga Khan Entrepreneurship programme also looked at the financial plan that these students had for their businesses a vital aspect all entrepreneurs should have so that their businesses actually grow.
Kasaanya said DTB is excited to be part of this initiative, noting that times have changed and students should change their mindset from the notion of studying to get jobs rather study to create opportunities.
“This is in line with our CSR campaign of giving back to the community especially the younger generation or as one may have the future leaders of this great nation of ours Uganda,” he said.
The students had exciting businesses like the mushroom business, bakeries, tech businesses, agro business to mention but a few.
Most of these students mastered the art of marketing as seen from how aggressively they market their products that they had set up during the exhibitions.
The winners walked away with Shs5,000,000. There were also prizes and certificates handed over to the runners up ranging from gift hampers, blenders.
Students and parents were encouraged to continue with these business ideas even after the competition seeing as all the students that took part had potential of actually becoming serious business owners.
By Drake Nyamugabwa
