Minister unveils SOS incubation centre

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Francis Phiso on Tuesday unveiled an incubation centre at SOS Vocational Training Centre to train, develop and support potential entrepreneurs to set up and grow businesses.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony in Lilongwe at SOS Vocational Training Centre, Phiso was optimistic that the incubation centre would benefit the youth and they would set up businesses after the training.

He said the Government would implement the eight incubation centres in four public institutions and four private institutions.

“We want to transfer practical skills to the youth to enable them run successful businesses and at the end create jobs for themselves and other youths,” he said.

He said the incubation centres are designed to train, develop and support potential entrepreneurs to set up and grow businesses.

The incubation centre has been established with initial support from the Government of Malawi, through the Jobs for Youth project in which 2000 youths are expected to be trained.

National Program Director for SOS Children’s Villages Malawi, Hope Msosa said they have enrolled 79 students at the incubation centre.

He said the young entrepreneurs are going to be incubated for four months assisting them in sharpening their business ideas and set them off to a good start in their business journey.

He said there is criteria put in place that will be used to select candidates for the incubation process.

“The ministry responsible advices that there should be a selection committee to select individuals to undergo the incubation process,” he said.

He said the aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas and if the business idea impresses the selection committee they are selected into the incubation process.

A 29 years old Raphael Kajiwa from Dedza who had been selected to be incubated at SOS said his business idea was manufacturing potato crisps, he said his entrepreneurial skill was going to be sharpened.

He said the knowledge that he will attain will assist him to take his business further especially packaging and marketing of his product.

“My fellow youths should take advantage of products that are easily found in their communities such as potatoes that are locally found in Dedza, which can be used as raw materials to package something that can be sold,” he said.

Jobs for the youth project which will run for two years, is being funded by the African Development Bank and the Malawi Government.

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