Motshwarakgole amongst TEEP beneficiaries
Amanda Dichabe | Tuesday March 31, 2015 14:35
TEEP is a multi-year programme of training, funding, and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
The three beneficiaries, Lerato Motshwarakgole of Generations fame, Mavis Nduchwa and Chokwe Goitseone, are among the first 1,000 African entrepreneurs who were drawn from various industries ranging from agriculture and education to fashion and ICT.
Nduchwa and Goitseone proposed plans are agricultural-based projects, while Motshwarakgole’s project is educational and training.
Speaking with Lerato Motshwarakgole, she said her project is based on education and drama therapy. Motshwarakgole said she would be implementing art as a subject to students in both public and private schools. She said she has always had ideas, but had no channel to support them.
“For the past four years I have been struggling to get someone or an organisation, which was willing to help me bring my plan to life. I even applied for funding from government, but my proposal was not approved,” she said.
She also said she could not engage banks for financial assistance as she did not want to start a business with debt as that could harm and hinder her business growth.
Furthermore, Motshwarakgole said the fact that our government does not recognise arts and drama therapy as an industry that can improve our economy and help generate jobs, pains her. “Right now I am in South Africa. Why? Because in my own country government does not really believe in arts and culture and that pains me,” she said.
However, she added that credit should be given for attempts made by the government to help youth start their own businesses.
She, however, said the biggest challenge is that there is less monitoring done to ensure that the businesses yield the expected results.
Moreover, she urged the public, especially the youth not to give up.
She criticised agencies and companies, which swindle the youth, by charging for auditions, citing that it is immoral. Financed by Nigerian multi-millionaire banker Tony Elumelu, the programme will run for the next nine months in Lagos, Nigeria and it includes an intensive training curriculum, mentoring, and entrepreneurship boot camp.
The top five countries with the most beneficiaries are Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana.
The beneficiaries will be fully funded to start their own businesses.
Meanwhile, the over 19,000 entrepreneurs who were not selected will be invited to join the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Network where they will be able to further improve their entrepreneurial knowledge and skills.