Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship in Senegal

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The project Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship in Senegal aims to unlock the entrepreneurial leadership potential of disadvantaged youth. It offers practical hands-on entrepreneurial experiences to youth that help them to develop social business projects that utilize market-based solutions to address social and environmental needs and engage communities. The project supports 600 disadvantaged youth aged 16 to 29 years old by offering them 10 –months long training on life skills and entrepreneurship. The trainings will include life skills, different aspects of establishing and administering an enterprise, ICT skills and the principles of sustainable social entrepreneurship. Participating in voluntary activities in favor of young people’s communities is a part of the training. In addition to the training, the youth receive mentoring and coaching from business professionals and various forums are organized for them to network with other entrepreneurs and potential investors.Among the 600 beneficiaries, 300 best business plans are selected to further development process by the end of the training process. The selected young entrepreneurs are offered incubation services at Synapse’s premises and assisted to find funding for their small scale enterprises. The remaining 300 beneficiaries are connected to the businesses launched by the selected youth or are offered additional assistance in their business plan- development and raising startup funding. The project will ensure that all youth who do not receive incubation services, will be assigned a business professional coach. Coaches will meet regularly with the youth to give them individualized advice on their income-generating activities. The youth will also be linked with Synapse’s Business Clubs –activities, where they can network with other entrepreneurial youth