By Bill W. Cooper
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Liberia has held a one-day Youth Entrepreneurship Research Validation Workshop in a significant step towards empowering the youthful population of Liberia.
Held in Monrovia, the workshop also aimed to discuss research work on youth entrepreneurship in Liberia and to develop actionable strategies to enhance the entrepreneurial landscape for young people in the country.
CRS has been working in Liberia since the 1950s and supported Liberians with food and basic essential items during the 1990 war, and has been implementing more development initiatives, focusing on agriculture and livelihood.
Other areas are health, nutrition and waste sanitation and hygiene, women empowerment, youth, Peacebuilding and social cohesion, environment, climate change and education and the reintegration of disadvantaged youths known as ‘Zogoes.’
In his opening remarks, CRS Head of Programming, Emmanuel S. Kogo, emphasized the importance of youth engagement in national development and noted, “Our youth are the future of Liberia.”
Highlighting the role of CRS in supporting youth initiatives and fostering sustainable development through entrepreneurship, Kongo intoned, “We must equip them with the necessary skills and resources to thrive in today’s economy.”
According to him, their research has revealed several critical insights into the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs in Liberia, and maintained, “I wouldn’t want to take the wind out of the sail of the main presenter, so we will get to hear from the consultant very shortly.”
He added, “However, the research has also uncovered numerous opportunities that, if harnessed, can significantly enhance the entrepreneurial landscape for the Liberian youth as such, today’s workshop is not just about presenting data; it is about sparking meaningful conversations and collaborations.”
“We believe that by working together with government, development partners, donors, and the private sector, we can create a more supportive and enabling environment for our young entrepreneurs.
As we move forward, let us remember that the success of the Liberian youth is the success of the nation. By empowering young entrepreneurs, we are investing in the future of Liberia,” he asserted.
Kongo added, “Let us use this workshop as a platform to share ideas, build partnerships, and develop strategies that will help our youth overcome the barriers they face and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Earlier, giving the overview of the workshop, CRS Business Development Specialist Emmanuel D. Togba, stated that CRS’ goal is that young people around the world realize their full potential and thrive.
According to him, working in collaboration with ecosystem actors, they support young people to access livelihood opportunities, play a leadership role, and become positive change agents in their communities today.
He noted, “Our vision is to meaningfully engage young people to succeed in the social, economic and political spheres that influence and impact their lives. Ultimately, CRS strives not just to reach more young people but, to permanently change the systems that serve them.”
“So, CRS youth initiatives are anchored on the Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework which emphasizes engaging youth along with their families, communities and or governments so that youth can reach their full potential.
PYD builds skills, assets and competencies; fosters healthy relationships; strengthens the environment; and transforms systems. CRS youth program is built on these core areas: Youth entrepreneurship, Youth Workforce Development, Youth Engagement, Social Cohesion, and Disability Inclusion.
Meanwhile, the Making Enterprises, BFS Consultant, Making Enterprises and Technical Association II-MEAL, CRS carried on the research aimed to identify the challenges and opportunities faced by young entrepreneurs in Liberia, focusing on sectors such as agriculture, technology, and services.
The team further presented the key findings of the study, noting that while there is a growing interest in entrepreneurship among the youth, several barriers hinder their success, and they include access to finance, inadequate business training, and limited market opportunities.
The research also revealed a huge number of young entrepreneurs surveyed expressed a desire for more training and mentorship opportunities, with less than 70 per cent reported difficulties in accessing capital to start or expand their businesses.
As the Youth Entrepreneurship Research Validation Workshop marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to empower young people in the country, by validating research findings and fostering collaboration among stakeholders, CRS is taking significant steps towards creating a more conducive environment for youth entrepreneurship.