11 August 2021, Nairobi-Kenya: The World Organization of the Scout Movement, Africa Region (WOSM Africa) and the Mondragon Team Academy of the Mondragon University (MU/MTA) have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on developing and implementing a youth entrepreneurship development programme to provide training, mentorship, coaching and networking opportunities to young African entrepreneurs to help them start or grow their existing enterprises and contribute to the socio-economic development of their families and communities.

This agreement comes on the background of a shared commitment for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in this case with particular focus on goal 1 - no poverty and goal 8 - decent work and economic growth. It is also based on the recognition that sustainable economic growth will require societies to create the conditions that allow people to have quality jobs and the participation of young people in solving the unemployment challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at the virtual signing ceremony Frederic Tutu Kama-Kama, Regional Director for WOSM Africa said that

We are delighted to champion youth entrepreneurship through a strategic partnership between Scouting and the Academia. This partnership provides a framework to create an enabling environment and opportunities for the socio-economic empowerment of young people. It will open up unique spaces for innovation and incubation for many great ideas by thousands of passionate, skilled and ambitious young people in the region as they contribute towards realizing the SDGs.

José María Luzarraga PhD, Co-Founder of the MTA, LEINN and International Leader at Mondragon University Entrepreneurship Unit expressed his excitement about the partnership saying that,

“For us, this is the beginning of a long term strategic relationship towards the development of entrepreneurship programmes and methodologies to serve African youth. We bring our over 20 years’ experience in disruptive innovation education to support the Scout Movement in Africa to develop entrepreneurial initiatives in a social innovation ecosystem that will spur more change agents.”

The five-year partnership will see MU/MTA provide support for the development and certification of the Scouts Entrepreneurship Training Programme, provision of mentorship and coaching support to the participating young people. They will also provide technical support in setting up and managing the Scouts Entrepreneurship Fund (Seed Fund) as well as the establishment of five zonal SCOUTS-MU/MTA Entrepreneurship Clubs to promote entrepreneurship education based on the MU/MTA model.

Development of digital resources necessary for young people to adapt and survive in the future labor market will also be prioritized alongside maximizing youth educational opportunities presented by the programmes and events of both WOSM Africa and MU/MTA. The partners will also create campaigns on entrepreneurship education and promotion of the activities of the cooperation alongside mobilization of resources to support implementation of the partnership activities.

Through this collaboration an initial 135 Scouts and leaders from across Africa will be equipped with entrepreneurship skills to start and run small-scale enterprises and contribute directly to the reduction of poverty among youth.

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Media Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Nelson Opany ([email protected])

Manager, Communications and Partnerships

World Scout Bureau Africa Support Centre

Ivy Karushi Akii ([email protected])

MTA Ambassador in Africa

Mondragon University/Mondragon Team Academy

 

Note to the Editor:

About Mondragon University / Mondragon Team Academy (MU/MTA)

MU/MTA is a cooperative university, founded in 1997 and officially recognized under Act 4/1997 of 30 May. Mondragon Team Academy (MTA) is an international community of changemaker entrepreneurs implementing an educational model adapted to the new way society is organized that encourages teampreneurship through experimentation. The learning model focuses on a Team Learning by Creating methodology, in which the students are not taught about entrepreneurship, but are given the tools and opportunities to set up their own ventures. MTA is currently made up of +1500 entrepreneurs in teams, with +80 team companies created and 13 MTA labs worldwide. MU/MTA has its offices located in Irun, Basque Country, Spain. Find out more about Mondragon University at mondragon.edu and the Mondragon Team Academy at mtaworld.com.

 

About the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Africa Region (WOSM Africa)

WOSM Africa is a branch of World Scouting responsible for fostering the Scout movement in Sub-Saharan Africa. Scouting is the world’s leading educational youth movement engaging 57 million young people, adult leaders, and volunteers in 224 countries and territories worldwide. As a growing Movement, Scouting is deeply embedded in local communities, responding to the diverse needs and aspirations of young people. Since its founding in 1907, Scouting has engaged young people in transformative education, training, and learning opportunities. Scouting offers young people a unique non-formal educational experience that directly contributes to their growth and development. In the region, Scouting has a membership of over 5 million young people and adult volunteers in 40 countries in Sub Saharan Africa. WOSM Africa’s office is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Find out more at www.scout.org/africa

 

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