Leadership Initiative, a non-profit organization, has trained over 100 young people in different skills and helped establish fully funded businesses in Bauchi State.
At the official handover ceremony of starter packs for the 2023 beneficiaries on Wednesday, Muhammad Auwal Yakubu, the Programme Coordinator, shared that the organization aims to empower these young business owners to become community leaders, positively impacting others through their acquired skills.
The items provided to the business owners included complete fashion design equipment such as a power generator set, industrial machine, furniture, and other necessary items.
Beneficiaries encompassed various professions like caterers, hairdressers, mechanical engineers, phone repairers, horticulturists, plumbers, make-up artists, vulcanisers, aluminum fabricators, welders, barbers, and provisions store owners. All the required equipment was provided free of charge.
Auwal highlighted that beneficiaries were selected and trained earlier in the year, and the Initiative consulted them on their business needs.
The organization then purchased the items and covered the costs of renting shops for them.
A significant aspect of this initiative is a contractual agreement lasting five years between the organization and the beneficiaries, during which the equipment will be maintained by the Initiative.
After five years, everything becomes the property of the business owners.
Leadership Initiative’s intervention comprises two segments: business creation and business expansion.
With approximately 100 businesses created and 500 expanded, the organization has impacted over 1,000 businesses since 2009.
Auwal also mentioned that Leadership Initiative is sponsored by its headquarters in Washington DC, United States of America.
Some beneficiaries expressed their gratitude, noting that the organization selected them for the program without any personal connections.
They emphasized the incredible support received, including training allowances, transport, and fully furnished shops at preferred locations.
The beneficiaries acknowledged that achieving this independently would have taken them years of savings.
