From developing your own signature sauce business to processing candied fruits and pickled vegetables, 60 young people from the Mayaro community learned some valuable skills in developing their own small agro-businesses at a recently concluded training programme.
The Youth Entrepreneurship in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) was held at the bpTT Mayaro Resource Centre. The YEAP is a collaborative effort between the Agriculture Ministry, the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri) and energy company bpTT. It focuses on creating avenues for entrepreneurship, innovation and employment in agro-industry for residents of Mayaro and environs.
Spilt into three day-long workshops, the programme was conceived by Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat almost a year ago.
The minister was present at the final training session, at which the young entrepreneurs made mixed pickles and hot chow chow. The minister interacted with the participants and praised the programme, saying: “YEAP was very comprehensive and delivered in-depth information about every aspect of being a businessperson, from technology to techniques and the inherent need for professionalism. The benefits don’t end today, because some of the participants will be selected for the Business Incubator Programme. I’m proud of everyone who took part and I look forward to purchasing your products in the very near future.”
Joel Primus, Community Sustainability and Stakeholder Relations Advisor, bpTT, underscored the company’s partnership in the programme. “Fostering entrepreneurship is one of the pillars of bpTT’s corporate philosophy and this programme was able to achieve that with a high level of excellence. It provided a different perspective on agriculture and also inculcated valuable skills that included good manufacturing practices, sanitation and packaging. The impact of this programme has national and even international potential because all it takes is one brilliant idea to change the world. The response from the participants was great encouragement in our drive to invest in the development of people.”
Also on hand to lend support was Cariri’s Chief Executive Officer, Liaquat Ali Shah, who encouraged the participants to believe in themselves. He said: “You are now well equipped for a new and exciting world of opportunity and just as you have improved yourselves, you need to take Mayaro and our nation forward as well.”
For 25-year-old Afeisha Rodney of New Lands Village, Guayaguayare, the project was a transformative experience. She said: “I work at a popular catering establishment and I will take back what I learnt to share with my co-workers and increase the capacity of the business. I have a degree in Biochemistry and I appreciated how scientific methodology was incorporated into the training. We owe a dept of gratitude to the Ministry, Cariri and bpTT because, at the end of the day, there are now 60 young people in Mayaro with a renewed vision and new skills who are ready to make a difference.”