PCPL keen to help youth acquire business skills
Isaac Pinielo | Thursday April 30, 2015 16:22
BusinessWeek: Can you please give a brief profile about Prowess Communications?
Chawla: PCPL is a strategic marketing, events and advertising agency and has a group company that is in Dental Surgery in Phakalane by the name of Dental Studio and assists with a lifestyle magazine called Life and Sport Encounter.
BusinessWeek: We understand you will be hosting a business seminar dubbed “Encounter Youth Entrepreneurship Mahala Seminar”. Can you give an overview of this event?
Chawla: EYE “Mahala” Seminar is an acronym for Encounter for Youth Entrepreneurship. As the entry or admission for the youth of Botswana is free, hence “Mahala” seminar.
Mike George, courtesy of Bhramakumaris Gaborone, is in his Southern African Tour. Beside Gaborone in Botswana, he is visiting South Africa and Namibia, to name a few countries.
When Bhramakumaris Gaborone gave us this wonderful opportunity, we debated what a stellar, global personality in Mike George could speak on.
That is when PCPL recommended Youth Entrepreneurship. But, Mike George understands the benefits and challenges to the youth of Botswana and is contextualising his talk around burning issues faced by Batswana youth.
BusinessWeek: Is it the first time that you have organised such an event?
Chawla: PCPL has helped many corporate and educational institutions that have been part of motivational seminars in the past.
BusinessWeek: Who is sponsoring the seminar?
Chawla: Well, Bhramakumaris Gaborone is bringing in Mike George to Botswana and Botho University has graciously offered their venue in Gaborone to conduct this seminar. The media in general, has been very cooperative in publishing this event.
Also, social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have been widely used to publicise the event.
BusinessWeek: What is the agenda of the seminar?
Chawla: Success in Entrepreneurship is the main agenda of this seminar. Many individuals have registered their own companies to start business.
But, a fair amounts of them give up this desire (to start business) and settle for an environment supposedly assured of safety.
They are being unfair to themselves and Botswana. To pursue the initial struggle, they have to survive the starting point to make this decision to forge ahead.
We hope to motivate and resuscitate such dreams and aspirations and show a pathway to success.
BusinessWeek: Who will be the speakers at this event?
Chawla: Mike George from United Kingdom is the only speaker at this event. He is described, among others, as an author, management tutor/coach, mentor, trainer and retreat leader.
BusinessWeek: Who would it benefit?
Chawla: Every individual who attends this seminar in whatever capacity will benefit from this talk. We are not limiting it to the youth only.
BusinessWeek: How many people are you expecting to come to the event?
Chawla: It is on Monday 11th May 2015 at Botho University Gaborone Campus in their lecture room by the name of OTSE 3. It is slotted for an hour between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm sharp. All are invited.
BusinessWeek: What prompted you to have such a seminar?
Chawla: PCPL has the interest of the youth of Botswana at heart. The youth are the future of Botswana. PCPL has always invested its efforts, be it consultations with educational institutions, youth empowerment magazines or even training and internship of many youngsters who finish their tertiary education.
PCPL has always been part of such events. However when Bhramakumaris offered this opportunity, PCPL ensured that maximum youth in Botswana get this opportunity and benefit from this seminar.
BusinessWeek: Who are you partnering with in this event?
Chawla: Bhramakumaris Gaborone, Botho University and many Botswana media houses.
BusinessWeek: What is your view on youth entrepreneurship in the country?
Chawla: Everybody has bills to pay and a regular lifestyle to lead. Just registering a company and trying to make a living through business is not enough.
When immediate success does not arrive, the temptation to get into a regular income-based job is very high. Success also lies with niche products. The ability to market it and create a demand and ensure adequate supply is available.
Consistent quality is imperative for businesses to take off and succeed. Unique ideas need to be developed. The youth of Botswana today wants immediate success and borrowed ideas are thriving.
But are they successful? My answer to that is No. Please research your market, understand expectations that the market has and ensure the products meet those expectations and are accessible at a competitive, but profit-generating price.
BusinessWeek: Do you think the government is doing enough in developing youth entrepreneurship?
Chawla: The youth of Botswana are very fortunate. There is an access to free education to all. Very few governments in the world offer that.
The interest of the youth to have this benefit is an unequivocal contribution to the success of the youth.
The youth are spoilt for choice when it comes to opportunities they could access.
These are international aid from foreign governments, parastatals sponsorships, CSI initiatives helping youth, Youth Funding programmes , the alcohol levy, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Local Enterprise Agency (LEA), Economic Diversification Drive (EDD), government tenders reserved for youth organisations and many other opportunities.
This is an adequate base in the proportion to the Botswana population.
The only drawback, is for additional effort to be made to counsel and guide the students to make the right career choice so that more youth will be in their chosen field for faster success to be possible.
Many youngsters grapple with drifting into career choices with inadequate understanding of their desires and competencies and end up following a wrong pathway.