Construction of “Youth Entrepreneurial” Space in Liberia

YONER-LIBERIA wants to reduce the number of unemployed youth by building an entrepreneurial and technology academy.

Africa's youth population is expected to double, to over 830 million, by the year 2050 and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warns that unemployment is set to increase dramatically. Already there is a lack of decent jobs available to young people and too many students are leaving school for low paid jobs. It's time for young Africans to create their own opportunities!

Liberian youth comprise 65% of the population of about 4.5 million people. United Nations further reports that 85% of Liberian youth are unemployed. Countries with large number of unemployed and economically disadvantaged youth are susceptible to violence. This is attributed to low entrepreneurial activities, under-utilization of technology, and a mismatch between the skills acquired in school versus what’s needed in the labor market.

In 2016, YONER-LIBERIA designed and launched a game-changing Flagship Program coined "Entrepreneurship Education Initiative" with the primary goal to reduce the number of unemployed youth by building preparing young Liberian entrepreneurs and innovators through critical thinking, problem solving, and business development. Most recently, with the support of the US Embassy-Monrovia, the Liberian Ministry of Youth & Sports, and the University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship’s Diamond Challenge Program organized and hosted “Liberia’s First High School Entrepreneurship Competition which brought together 40 students, from 10 high schools and formed into 20 teams in which they developed 18 sustainable business concepts that are being worked on for launch in the new future. The winner was invited to the USA at the University of Delaware.

Ccurrently, our Entrepreneurship Program already had a network of over 2,500 high school and university students, aspiring entrepreneurs, technology innovation and young professionals, including students, aspiring and young entrepreneurs, professionals and mentors who are actively involved in our activities. Currently, we receive at least 15 youth, especially young woman at our office weekly and receive mentorship and training on specific challenges being faced with their ventures/startups. Since the establishment of the Entrepreneurship Program about two years now, we have had 25 youth who have developed and launched their start-ups, and over 50 are working on their business innovations. 

Now, the key challenge for our Entrepreneurship Program is the lack of a physical space which will provide an enabling and conducive environment.

YONER-LIBERIA is competing in The Solve Challenge-2018  reduce the number of unemployed youth by building an entrepreneurial and technology academy to prepare young Liberian entrepreneurs and innovators through critical thinking, problem solving, application development, and entrepreneurship. The center will also have design labs, research and innovation labs, co-working spaces, conference centers, theatre, hostels - to create jobs, and generate revenue that will be used to support the work of the sector to empower young people and create more jobs.

 Because of the amenities of the space and the sense of community which will exist we will be able to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation at a physical location. 

YONER-LIBERIA envisages sustainability in this project to benefit this generation, yet unborn. The conference hall and co-working space will be used for commercial purposes. Students, aspiring entrepreneurs, technology innovators, professionals and growing organizations in the sector looking for venues, but can’t afford to obtain office can pay subscription fees to use the co-working space while others looking for venues can rent the conference hall for reasonable amounts. Funds generated will sustain the center. 

Entrepreneurship and technology goes together. To run a sustainable and successful business, technology must become an integral part. Therefore, our entire space will employ the use of technology including computer training, developing of apps to enhance our work and our customers, and also all of our facilities will use internet connectivity, and open to the public 24/7.

The Space will exploit the power of technologies to manage and administer resources, services and products, liberating time, human resource and accountancy; and training to focus on innovation and capacity building effective teaching and learning, as well as interaction and networking.

Availability of Space – Have a physical space for the first time in Paynesville where youth are meeting, uniting and working together to develop sustainable business solutions

Empower – Youth gaining entrepreneurship skills and become self-aware, optimistic, resilient, confident and competent in honing their ideas for scalable business solutions for youth socioeconomic empowerment

Collaborate – Youth meeting experts and mentors to understand their problems and pain points real-world learnings and insights that validate key components of the business model  

YONER-LIBERIA envisons to run the 1st premiere ' Youth Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation' Space in Liberia to drive the municipality’s socioeconomic growth and development through youth entrepreneurship and innovation – a global trend for advancement. Absolutely, there is no such Space in Liberia that provides the required facilities, equipment, tools and technologies to help develop a youth community that truly appreciates entrepreneurship and technology. Our experience shows that focusing on science, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation are the better approaches to build Liberia is by creating our own wealth through private investments.

Considering that communication, a two-way street – plays a pivotal role in ensuring public input, confidence, buy-in and participation, we’ve employed the effective and efficient use of various communication channels as a mean of recruiting and identifying beneficiaries of our program, documenting and sharing success story and lessons learned. We will use social media and TV promotions to inform the public of our space and services offer to the public, especially young women in a fashion and design sector to use the deign thinking lab to produce their products and services.

Currently, our Entrepreneurship Program already had a network of over

2,500 high school and university students, aspiring entrepreneurs, technology
innovation and young professionals, including students, aspiring and young
entrepreneurs, professionals and mentors who are actively involved in our
activities. Currently, we receive at least 15 youth, especially young woman at
our office weekly and receive mentorship and training on specific challenges
being faced with their ventures/startups. Since the establishment of the
Entrepreneurship Program about two years now, we have had 25 youth who have
developed and launched their start-ups, and over 50 are working on their
business innovations. 

On the next three year upon the construction of the Community Space,YONER-LIBERIA hopes to directly reach other 10,000 high school, and university students and emerging and existing entrepreneurs across Liberia. We hope to train over 5,000 youth in teams to design and establish their own businesses to make changes in their communities create jobs for peers and improve their communities. We hope to establish partnership with several corporations in the private and public sectors.

Jarius Andrew Greaves is a Liberian and African Youth Development Worker with over 10-year experience in local community and youth engagement and empowerment, entrepreneurship, education, youth policy advocacy, negotiations and Monitoring and Evaluation.

John McCauley, Jr. is an ICT professional with several years of working experience in Administration, Entrepreneurship and Technology.

Samuel Garblah serves as Finance Director for YONER-LIBRIA. He is young professional Finance personnel with growing knowledge of using several platforms in reaching the needs of business solutions. 

Mongai S. Gussin, has over five years of experience in volunteerism and community service. 

Computer & IT Services:

Þ All computer and IT related services including:

Þ Graphic Designs

Þ Web Designs & Hosting

Þ Setup Database

· Legal Services:

Þ Articles of Incorporation write-out

Þ Organization & Business Registration

· Professional Development Skills:

Þ Basic & Advanced Computer courses

            MS word, M Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS publisher, Corel Draw,

            Google Doc, web designing, etc

· Others:

Þ Catering

Þ Events Planning & Management

Þ Event’s venue arrangement

YONER-LIBERIA is applying to raise US$500,000 to reduce the number of unemployed youth by building an entrepreneurial and technology academy to prepare young Liberian entrepreneurs and innovators through critical thinking, problem solving, application development, and entrepreneurship. The center will also have design labs, research and innovation labs, co-working spaces, conference centers, theatre, hostels - and it aligns with Solve's goal because it aims to create jobs, and generate revenue that will be used to support the work of the sector to empower young people and create more jobs. 

Now, the major challenge for our Entrepreneurship Program is the lack of a physical space which will provide an enabling and conducive environment.