By Mark N. Mengonfia
A young Liberian in her teens, Blessing Boaslah might well be this country’s youngest business executive
Miss. Boasha, who participated in last year’s Youth Network for Reform (YONER Liberia) High School Entrepreneurship Competition is Executive Director of Community Garden and she has called on Liberian kids to venture in positive activities that will change lives in country.
Through the intensive a 21 century entrepreneur mentorship initiative of the YONER Liberia, she and her team has commenced working out a business plan to produce some of Liberia’s eatables, which are cassava, potatoes, and eddoes as means of helping to feed Liberians.
The rising Liberian business mind was speaking on Friday at the Ministry of Health in Liberia during the launch of the 2018/2019 Edition of the Liberia National High School Entrepreneurship Competition.
Young Boaslah said “in our project, we planned to start the planting of cassava in the Zuba Town community, but when we tested the soil, we find out that it was not good for the planting of cassava.”
She indicated that based on that she and her team have decided to take the project to other community where it will be possible.
People who attended Friday’s ceremony at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Paynesville
The young Liberian Executive Director, who is a first year student at the Blue Quest University, indicated that when young Liberians are given the opportunity, they can compute with children in other parts of the world.
She praised the executive director of YONER Liberia; Jarius Andrew Greaves for the mentorship provided them.
The launch of the program brought together students, mentors and parents from Montserrado and Margibi Counties
Also speaking, the Executive Director of YONER Liberia, Jarius Andrew Greaves said, the 2018/2019 Edition of the Liberia National High School Entrepreneurship Competition will have OVER 200 students from Montserrado and Margibi Counties.
Mr. Greaves said that the purpose of the mentorship institute is to provide detailed information on the history of the project, including the 2017-18 and the 2018-19 editions and the step-by-by step approaches and the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders which include, school administrations, mentored, students and their parents.
According to him, students will compete to make research within their communities, identify challenges and turn those challenges into business concepts in new ideas for a business or social innovative solutions supports which will support eight (8) of the SDGs.
He named the SDGs as Zero Hunger; Quality Education; Good Health and Well-being; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 5) Affordable and Clean Energy; 6) Clean Water and Sanitation; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and 8 Climate Action unique to Liberia.
Mr. Greaves said that the 2018-19 Edition, will host a live National Pitch Competition to select 8 winners reflective of the 8 SDGs and will receive cash prizes/awards that will use to launch their ventures, or business to create jobs for others, generate more revenues while creating social impact.
He added that over the last three months, YONER Liberia has been building partnership with 25 high schools in Montserrado and Margbi and successfully recruited over 200 students, over 100 mentors and formed them into 74 Teams.
He indicated that the National Winner from all of the processes will travel to the USA for participation in the semifinal round, which will take place at the University of Delaware April 13-15, 2019.
The youthful ED said that the Liberia National High School Entrepreneurship Competition’ is a National Entrepreneurship Competition for Liberian High School Students that combines with the academic grounding of the University of Delaware, a U.S. University with real-world experience in utilizing skills and experiences to nurture Liberian high school students.
This will enable them to conceive new ideas for a business or social innovation in and in the process builds local entrepreneurial ecosystems with international partners to solve community problems, generate income for themselves and their families, and contribute to the economic growth of their countries.
Mr. Greaves said, he strongly believes that participation of the Liberian team in the semifinal round of the Diamond Challenge can strengthen relations and understanding between both the American and Liberian peoples, as well as with students of other nations who will be in attendance.
Finalists in the Diamond Challenge receive a portion of our $100,000 prize pool that may be used to launch their ventures, or as scholarship to any higher learning institute in the country.
For his part, Seokin Civicus Barsi-Giah, one of Liberia’s young innovative speakers encouraged the participating teams to employ their best into the initiative.