In today’s digital age, entrepreneurship and digital finance skills are crucial for success in any business venture. With this in mind, a successful digital finance and entrepreneurship boot camp was held recently, with the aim of providing hands-on training to 100 students. This training was followed by a business fair, where the trainees had the opportunity to showcase their newly acquired skills and knowledge.
The Jenga Hub in partnership with Natokaje Kidijitali together with Kids Finance with Tracy organised the Tanzania Youth Entrepreneuship Experience Bootcamp a comprehensive and practical training, covering topics such as digital marketing, e-commerce, financial management, and business planning.
The boot camp was spread over a period of two weeks, and attracted a total of 120 students with the first week being dedicated to classroom sessions and the second week to practical exercises. During the classroom sessions, the students were taught the theoretical concepts of digital finance and entrepreneurship, while the practical exercises provided them with hands-on experience in applying these concepts to real-life situations. Throughout the bootcamp students covered several topics including in finance, digital and entrepreneurship in the training workshop conducted at the University of Dar es Salaam. The bootcamp also featured session from practicing industry experts from different companies such as Vodacom, NMB and students had the chance to learn first hand in an out of school area
As part of the program site visits to company premises were conducted with the aim to provide children with guidance on potential career paths and how to prepare for them. By introducing children to different industries, job roles, and education and opportunities through site visits. This will help children make informed decisions about their future and feel more confident about their career prospects. In this year we visited Azam Iceream Factory, Smart Codes, DSTV and Clouds FM
The business fair was held on the last day of the boot camp, and it was a grand success. The trainees had the opportunity to showcase their business ideas and products to investors, customers, and industry experts. The fair was well-attended, and the trainees received a lot of positive feedback for their ideas and products.
The business fair hosted acted as the finale of the program, and an exhibition showcase for the bootcamp, different education stakeholders were involved and managed to participate in the closing event. Such stakeholders included Local government officials, parents, and Bootcamp sponsors.
The aim of inviting stakeholders was to give them a chance to experience the entrepreneurship skills gained by our young learners and to offer insights that will positively contribute to the ideas of all students and also, it reinforced the need to sustain and contribute to financial and entrepreneurship in all classrooms and schools and out of school.
Many of the trainees went on to start their own businesses after completing the boot camp. They were able to leverage the skills and knowledge they had acquired during the training to create successful and sustainable businesses. Some of the businesses that were started by the trainees included bakeries, sports equipment stores, electronics shops.
The recognition and award session during the Bootcamp closing ceremony was a special moment where we celebrated the hard work and achievements of our talented students. This was an opportunity for us to recognize and honor those who have excelled in the design and presentation of their business projects.
The success of the boot camp and the business fair can be attributed to the comprehensive training provided to the trainees. The organizers ensured that the training was not just theoretical but also practical, which enabled the trainees to apply the concepts they learned to real-life situations. The business fair provided an excellent platform for the trainees to showcase their skills and ideas to potential investors and customers.
In conclusion, the digital finance and entrepreneurship boot camp followed by a business fair was a great success. It provided hands-on training to 120 students and enabled them to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to start their own businesses. The business fair provided an excellent platform for the trainees to showcase their skills and ideas to potential investors and customers. Such initiatives are crucial in promoting entrepreneurship and helping young people become successful entrepreneurs in today’s digital age.