Entrepreneurship training for aspiring young politicians
Entrepreneurship is one of the spearheading sources of revenue and a major income earning activity that promotes the country’s economy. KAS Kenya in the last one year has developed an entrepreneurship program (STEP) that seeks to train young aspiring politicians and all other aspiring candidates in our network on entrepreneurship skills. Based on the Entrepreneurship Training Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP), the aim was to contribute to the topics of education and research in the context of cooperation with emerging and developing countries.
In October 6th - 8th 2020, KAS held a workshop for aspiring young politicians on entrepreneurship. The workshop aimed at firstly, provoke the young politicians’ minds to think of starting/improving their own businesses, which will be a form of creating jobs. Secondly, to broaden the scope and have more politicians consider taking up entrepreneurship as means to finance their political careers. Thirdly, the measure aimed to have politicians who also understand the business environment and therefore in future can lobby for favorable economic policies that would enhance a thriving economy and enable investments from Small Medium size enterprises to Multinationals.
Topics such as problem identification and opportunity development was the first point of discussion to show participants how to identify problems in the society and turning those problems into business opportunities. Concerning opportunity development sub-topic, emphasis was on how to identify and use your strengths, social resources/ networks and creative thinking in coming up with businesses that offer solutions to the society. Other topics included; Planning and implementing plans, Marketing, finding starting Capital, Managing Finances and How to write a business plan and Integrity Tool-kit. These topics were deemed very important for anyone intending to start a business or rather has an existing business.
Entrepreneurship is an area that requires constant updating and acquiring new knowledge and skills in-order to keep up with the current trends. Unemployment has hit hard in most developing countries including Kenya and that is why equipping young people with entrepreneurial skills should be considered as an alternative source of income. The workshop was well appreciated by the young aspiring politicians and some of them who are politically active as well as run businesses as their income earners vowed to use such knowledge not just to improve their businesses but also to influence good legislations for the business community. Overall, these skills are essential for young people in Kenya who make about 70% of the population.
The participants assured that they would make good use of the gained knowledge and skills in their journeys to politics and more so to finance their political careers. The organization KAS looks forward to continue partnering and working with the young leaders in ensuring that they are engaging in political processes, are equipped with the right knowledge and skills of alternative means to finance politics such as entrepreneurship and that they continue to promote the concept of social market economy and sustainable development.
