BEDCO
SENDS TWO ENTREPRENEURS TO THE 10TH WORLD SUMMIT OF YOUNG
ENTREPRENEURS (WSYE) IN SAO PAOLO BRAZIL
In its
preparation for the 10th WSYE this year, the World Trade University
Global Secretariat sent invitation letters to several organizations around the
world to nominate successful entrepreneurs between the ages of 21 and 42. The
entrepreneurs were to attend the summit held in Sao Paolo Brazil from 15th
to 17th March this year. Through the past nine summits, the
organizers brought together over 5,600 young entrepreneurs from 179 countries
and facilitated 750 joint venture opportunities.
BEDCO nominated Mrs ‘Mamokhali
Makhutla, the manager of Lesotho Co-op Handicrafts and Ms Anna ‘Mone, the
owner and manager of Anna’s Dress Making. For the first time Ms ‘Mone had the
opportunity of presenting her business to over 500 people from around the
world.
The theme for this year’s summit
was ‘Let’s Make a New Deal’. This summit provided a forum for leading young
entrepreneurs to learn from each other’s experiences, extend global networks,
and identify new opportunities for international expansion of their
businesses.
The main objectives of the
summit
- To provide a bridge among all
sectors needed for the next generation of entrepreneurs to realize the new
opportunities by encouraging a collaborative relationship that will:
- Enhance key factors in the
success of entrepreneurs, including finance, regulations, skills, resources
and markets.
- Introduce new business models
that will be adapted by entrepreneurs for
various enterprises in key growth markets.
- Establish international
networks among young entrepreneurs.
- Promote partnerships among
entrepreneurs, including women and indigenous entrepreneurs, at local,
national and international levels.
Nominees Background
Information
1. Mrs ‘Mamokhali Makhutla.
Mrs Makhutla has been the manager
of Lesotho Cooperative Handicrafts since 2002. She took over at the time when
the organization was still going through very difficult financial problems
following the 1998 political riots whereby most of the businesses in Lesotho
were burnt.
Three years of her management
services has seen the organization turning back to be a profitable and viable
business.
Lesotho Cooperative Handicrafts
mostly known as Basotho Hat is the marketing outlet for seventeen handicrafts
cooperatives based in the rural areas of Lesotho where job opportunities do
not exist.
The cooperative serves over six
hundred members who produce various handicrafts for resale by the marketing
outlet. Members benefit through the profits made at the end of the year when
they get dividends.
The cooperative has managed to
build both local and international market in countries such as USA, Germany
and the Republic of South Africa. Initially the local sales were mainly to the
tourist market but with time the cooperative developed a range of products
that can appeal to the local communities as well.
2. Ms Anna ‘Mone
Ms ‘Mone holds a certificate in
dressmaking. In 1994 she decided to open her own business in dressmaking which
specializes in traditional Basotho attire and ladies fashion wear. Since she
did not have sufficient capital, she started with one domestic sewing machine
operating from home. In order for her to be able to work she had to rely on
her customers supplying her with all the materials and in turn she charged for
her labour.
After one year of struggling, she
accumulated enough capital which enabled her to buy one industrial machine.
She further recruited her first employee and also moved from home to a rented
house which was situated at the centre of town where her customers could
access her business easily.
In 1996 she bought additional two
industrial machines, recruited two more employees and moved to even more
developed industrial premises. She also expanded her business by opening an
apprenticeship programme, offering one to two years dressmaking training.
From 1997 to-date, the business
has grown to ten full time employees and fifteen students per annum. In 1998
the first graduates from her enterprise opened their dressmaking workshops and
since then she has always been providing them with technical assistance
particularly on dress making and marketing. Currently the business has grown
and serves both local and regional markets.
Lessons learnt at the
summit by the entrepreneurs
- Being competitive in the global
market means working within the rules of the trading system.
- Always respond to more
demanding markets.
- Practice efficiency, innovation
and build a proactive support infrastructure system.
- Take care of the environment by
being eco-efficient.
- Obedience to local and
international status applicable to respective countries and industries.
- Operate in good faith and
honesty.
- Productive sector should be
given the motivation, assistance and incentives needed to propel the
production of value added products for the export market.
- Learn the necessity of
operating with a high level of corporate social responsibility that includes
proactive assistance of communities and people around them.
- Good accountability, producing
value for money, treating our human resources and fellow competitors with
respect and fairness.
N.B.
Information on the forthcoming summits will be transmitted to this site as and
when it gets available.
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