This is exactly what Action Network for the Disabled (ANDY) has been working on over the months since gaining the confidence of both International Youth Foundation and Starbucks through a $10,000 grant meant to provide training opportunities for 20 young disabled people to acquire entrepreneurship skills, business support and start-up capital.
The project has completed training all 20 young people in entrepreneurship skills each of them receiving individualized support in coming up with a business plan to be considered for business start up support from the project.
Given varied knowledge levels amongst the participants and different types of disabilities, the process of training in business plan making took long than anticipated thus delaying the action of giving out the start-up capital to those qualifying so that they can start their implementing their business ideas.
This project has really provided a learning opportunity on how to structure a project that will genuinely impact the economics of persons with disabilities both now and in the future. Through the individual approach system of training availed to all participants, six participants were able to graduate through the process in April 2011 and immediately qualified for the start-up capital. Both of them are in the second month of running their businesses and excited at the opportunity provided by this support so far.
Joseph Kinyanjui has a physical disability and is amongst the first beneficiaries who have already received the start-up capital; armed with his electrical engineering; Joseph now runs a mobile phone repair and selling accessories and will be looking at how to expand the same in the near future since he has a good customer-base.
Caroline Akinyi is another beneficiary of the training and amongst the first lot to receive the start-up support, through her business plan, Caroline who has a physical disability, proposed to start a water vending business in the slum thus fulfilling a basic need for the residents while getting an income for herself since the area has a problem of not receiving tapped water. The project worked with Caroline to get all necessary government document required to start this kind of business successfully. While the business has started off well, Caroline has indicated a need to have a large water storage tank so that she can store some water and still sell it when the supply is not available in the area during water rationing seasons and ANDY is considering offering this strategic support to make her business become sustainable. This business will make Caroline economically independent over the time thus enabling her to negotiate her choices as a young woman with a disability living in an urban slum of Nairobi.
Mary Auma is an excited young woman; the possibility of starting her own business was far-fetched previously since nobody could believe in her ideas to run her own food vending business. Thus it was a blessing when she learnt of the project being undertaken by ANDY and quickly enrolled. Mary worked with her trainer diligently showing the greatest interest given the missed opportunities by the fact that she had a disability and thus, no one could trust her with support to successfully run a business. She excelled and joined the first group that received the start-up capital to launch their business; she is now receiving mentorship while actualizing her business idea ANDY is currently working with the remaining 14 project participants giving support in business plan development so that they are ready to be given the required start-up support during this month to launch their ideas, this team has enthusiastic young people determined to make it in business and earn a decent income of their own despite having different types of disabilities.
From ANDY`s perspectives, we are seeing the importance of investing in the future of this young disabled people who would have otherwise remained on the margins of the society while they have the energy, ideas and determination to participate in the economic activities of their society and lift themselves out of poverty despite having a disability. It has clearly been demonstrated to us why most of economic activities taking place in our country needs to mainstream issues of people with disabilities so that they can equally benefit from support offered to other entrepreneurs by both the Government and private organizations and become actively engaged in creating solutions through their business ideas.
Through this support, we are able to provide evidence that indeed; if well supported, people with disabilities have the same chances of succeeding in business and coming out of poverty as anyone else and would like to thank Starbucks and International Youth Foundation for proving this foundation upon which the evidence is being adduced.
Fredrick Ouko is a YouthActionNet Fellow 2009/2010 and Executive Director of Action Network for the Disabled
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