Unemployment and its immediate consequences (including among others lack of a means of livelihood, poverty, high crime wave and youth delinquency), continue to be a major challenge for national governments and communities across the world – and in varying proportions. In some places like Cameroon, with a general unemployment rate as high as 30% and youth unemployment above 40%, the need for private sector growth has never been this pressing and what’s more the need to foster local manufacturing. The private sector and especially manufacturing in every economy is supposed to be leader in sustainable job creation. According to the World bank, in many sub-Saharan countries only 4.5% of the adult workforce is part of the formal private sector. What is Deviin going to do to help this situation?
We believe that all people deserve to earn a livelihood and that unleashing entrepreneurship is a powerful way to alleviate poverty. Thus, we go beyond just supporting young people choose, study towards and pursue a career as an employee, to also support youth, women & girls create sustainable solutions to poverty through innovation & entrepreneurship i.e create business solutions to poverty with focus initially in agribusiness, basic manufacturing and technology . Our youth entrepreneurship & innovation program has a strong focus in empowering more youths and women through the journey of creating and growing sustainable business entities while innovating. This would be our contribution to creating the much needed ecosystem in the global south that drives entrepreneurship & innovation, job creation (and ultimately economic growth) through young people and women. To do this, specifically Deviin would serve as a youth entrepreneurship catalyst & business incubator – encouraging new entrepreneurs through inspirational events, training & mentorship, facilitating access to financial & technical support, facilitating more collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders and disseminating more relevant information.
To create even more jobs, we shall also promote (create) social and commercial enterprises as independent legal entities. Currently our focus is in the following areas:
Learning & skills development (education and training): A network of quality private education and training facilities viz tertiary sector institutions, tuition support centers, labs & workshops.
Value Chain: Agricultural production & agribusiness (with a technical focus on Market Systems), Local Manufacturing and transformation.
Technology, Waste management (Recycling)
Trading: Wholesale & Retail