Children urged to learn business skills

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With the overwhelming climate change impacting on the world today, starting businesses that reduce on damaging the environment are the way to go, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Teach A Man To Fish has said.

Nik Kafka said that many plastics have been disposed off in the environment but this plastic trash can be turned into cash.

“We are on a mission to tackle youth unemployment and the learning crisis through giving young people the skills and experience to become job creators. In line with this, we have established The School Enterprise Challenge, a global business programme for schools run by the British Education Charity called Teach A Man To Fish,” Kafka said.

He said that the School Enterprise Challenge guides students and teachers to plan, set up and run a school business. Students learnt valuable business and 21st century skills. Ideas can come from anywhere.

Kafka who was officiating at the 2023 online School Enterprise Challenge Gala at Fonthill road London United Kingdom on March 21, said that in 2023, 1,270 school businesses were established through taking part in the programme in 44 countries.

Paul Mubiru from Little Angels Nursery and Day Care School Bweyogerere won the Inspirational Teacher Award and the school too was recognised for its outstanding achievement and commitment to entrepreneurial education.

“I am an entrepreneur gifted with teaching/ mentoring, and actually I was given an opportunity to be an ambassador of the School Enterprise Challenge here in Uganda. I am the CEO of Kidz Spur which is an Events and Entrepreneurship company.

By the time I joined this School Enterprise Challenge, there were about 54 schools from Uganda and by God's Grace I was able to grow the number to over 95 schools in 5 months. Last year actually 250 schools registered from Uganda and 130 managed to implement. This set me apart to inspire both learners and adults locally and globally hence winning the Inspirational Teacher Award School Enterprise Challenge 2023,” Mubiru said.

He said that they made a product called a “bottle bank” to help children, youths and adults earn, save and invest money hence passing on financial literacy to the next generation

Mubiru said that 26 children aged 5-6yrs at Little Angels Nursery and Day Care School Bweyogerere went through an Entrepreneurship program for 3 terms in 2023. This got them from ideation to the implementation stage.

“These Entrepreneurship sessions triggered problem solving skills, critical thinking, leadership, collaboration, communication among other 21st century skills. From their 10 ideas generated, they zeroed down to one which happened to be Bottle Bank making as a way to turn trash into cash.

Their business was launched and so-far sold over 64 bottle banks at sh5000 Looking forward to producing over 500 products this year.

We are on a mission to taking 100 children and youths on this amazing journey of earning, saving and investing,” Mubiru said.