EU FUNDED PROJECT BOOST THE YBSL OPERATION IN POST CONFLICT AREAS

European Union funded ‘Youth in Regional Development and Socio Economic Integration’ project assisted YBSL to build strong foundations including project team, entrepreneur and mentor groups and youth entrepreneur trainings in north and east provinces; Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya.  This project boost regional partners in several ways such as building capacity of project team members, engaging youth entrepreneurs and experienced mentors To the operation, building regional level women's wing and entrepreneur groups and bestow national and international exposure to both project team and beneficiaries. Numerically over five hundred youths have been trained in the six districts. 

From that basement, YBSL expanding its service to the next level and sustain and develop those regions too make a deep positive impact in the youth’s life through the concepts of entrepreneurship and mentoring. The EU NSA project will be over on October 2013 but the impact of the project will be used to effectively sustain current operation by YBSL in future. 

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FROM SRI LANKA WINS THE START-UP ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2013

Nimali (25) and her business, Nimali Chips and Fibre Mill, have been hailed as pioneers. Within a year she has created an environmentally-friendly enterprise producing and exporting coir for mattresses and coir piths and, more uniquely, making coconut husk chips which is a new industry for Sri Lanka’s rural district of Hambantota’s Ambalantota.

Nimali, who comes from an impoverished background, was determined to overcome traditional ideas about women in Sri Lanka. However, a failed coir business venture and a lack of collateral meant that banks rejected her loan requests. With the help of YBI member Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL), Nimali’s new business has turned a loan of $781 into an enterprise with a projected turnover of over $39,000.

Nimali’s business, which employs people from underprivileged communities, is earning a reputation for its quality products and timely deliveries. She is also doing community outreach. Due to the jobs and industry she has generated, local govern

ment has repaired the roads – positively impacting the lives of more than 100 families.

POST WAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP WINS GLOBAL AWARD

In Sri Lanka’s Northern Jaffna District, a region ravaged by 30 years of war and unrest, Prinson Thuraiaiya’s unique brass foundry business (producing castings from waste metal) encompasses entrepreneurial spirit, sustainability and a positive social mission.

Prinson (32) left school at 16 and, facing limited job prospects, sought work at a foundry. He later opened his own foundry but with limited success due to a lack of machinery and mentoring advice. Banks refused him finance but YBI member Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL) saw the potential in Prinson’s business model, and recognised his manufacturing and design skills.

YBSL’s support through finance, access to key markets and mentoring provided a significant boost to the business.  Sri Lanka’s central environmental authority backs Prinson’s venture, which each month collects and recycles 1000kg of waste metal to transform into Hindu religious products. He also buys discarded engine oil, which is used to melt the metal.

His unique venture has generated full-time employment for 5 people, and it indirectly supports 20 others.  Prinson’s business has also received government support – its continued expansion could meet government aims of reducing reliance on imports of similar items from India.

YBI GUIDES, YBSL TO DRIVE

YBSL working as an independent institution in Sri Lanka and belongs to the YBI global network. YBI supports and guides YBSL in components of mentoring, network expansion, operational management systems and monitoring evaluation and learning by collaborating together and sharing expertise from global to national and national to global.

YBI use standard approaches for Its operation it passes to YBSL always develop these approaches according to the Sri Lankan context.   Recently, YBSL focusing deeply on major three areas as mentoring, OMS and MEL with guidance of YBI. YBI; Ms. Hoang Anh Thi le – Programme manager for mentor, Mr. Matt – OMS manager and Mr. Laura Gisby – Relationship manager visited to YBSL and trained relevant managers as well as they have been linked entire national and global network.

• YBI AND YBSL Approach to strengthening communities by providing training, startup capital and mentoring.
• Over two thousand youths trained by YBSL
• Over thousand youths provided capital
• Mentor adding more value to the youth’s business

YBSL MENTORS EXPOSURE VISIT TO INDIA

Group photo of BYST and YBSL mentors

The team of YBSL visited to Chennai, India on 18th -21st June 2013 and attended training session, field visit which are arranged by BYST - Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust. Team is consisted twenty delegates including 8 YBSL head office and regional office staff and 12 mentors from distrcts of Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya. The exposure visit arranged under the EU funded Youth in Regional Development and Socio Economic Integration project. 

This exposure visit assisted team to learn more about mentoring at the same time it was great occasion for building a contact point between YBSL and BYST mentors. YBI was very keen on linking it network country to YBSL and it assisted YBSL to engage with BYST. 

YBI ACCENTURE GRANT SUPPORTS YBSL MENTORING PROGRAMME

YBSL is running a pioneer business mentoring programme in Sri Lanka with support and guidance of Youth Business International- YBI.  An extensive In-house assessment carried out in all ten operational districts to measure efficiency and effectiveness of the mentoring programme, in period of November 2012 to January 2013.  Mentoring programme restructured according to the findings of the assessment under financial support of Accenture grand and guidance of YBI in January 2013. Districts of Vavuniya and Ampara selected as pilot regions to reschedule and restructure mentoring component.

Project team capacity building, mentor and entrepreneur recruitment and training, assigning one to one mentor – mentee pairs, Building a mentor network and sustain and expand mentoring are considered as five major components of the pilot mentoring to develop youth business in Vavuniya and Ampara districts. Over hundred entrepreneurs and mentors have been trained since March, 2013 and over 30 one to one mentoring pairs assigned. YBSL started to expand the full scale mentoring programme to other operational districts as well and accept Anuradhapura, all other regional project team members been trained and them working together with head office to achieve goal.