Kenya

"DISTRICT BUSINESS SOLUTION CENTRES SIAYA AND BUNGOMA"

 

 

Since the launch of the Youth Employment Scheme-Micro Small Enterprise Programme (YES-MSE Programme) in May 2006, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development support and establishment of Business Development and Support delivery mechanisms (District Business Solution Centres - DBSCs), 138 youth have been trained under the intensive 5-weeks Business Skills and Entrepreneurship Development training designed to stimulate and unlock youth entrepreneurial potential. 55 of the BSED trainees above have been taken for a further 5-week Enterprise Development Agents (EDAs) training that qualifies as local DBS Consultants and entrepreneurship development trainers. This flagship training is being implemented together with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and targeting 500 EDAs for wider outreach of the training activities throughout the country. The training is now being rolled out at the districts and will be institutionalised as one of the products of the DBSCs.

Two DBSCs have been established in Siaya and Bungoma as a joint effort of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Kenya Industrial Estates under the public private partnership arrangement. The DBSCs are equipped with high connectivity ICT infrastructure to enable youth, women and MSEs access vital information, training and advisory support. Four other DBSCs are planned in Murang'a, Garissa, Turkana and Kilifi in the first half of 2008.

For sustainability purposes and a best practice, DBSCs provide services in a market demand driven manner focusing on strategically high impact and wide outreach business development services on a cost recovery basis. DBSCs will maintain networks of resource partners including local government devolved funding to facilitate delivery of services in an affordable manner.

Comprehensively each DBSC will do that by establishing a strategic, business and financial plan relevant to the local setting and focusing on revitalisation and development of the local private sector in their area of operations on a sustainable and viable basis.

Youth, Women and MSEs are and will be encouraged to approach your nearest DBSC to access the above mentioned services and information.