YBSL News & Events

CACCI Foundation Supports Sri Lankan Youth to Start Businesses - (Jan 6, 2010)

YBSL provided loans to the value of two hundred and fifty thousand rupees to youths from Jaffna peninsula to start businesses on January 6, 2010. The YBSL programme in Jaffna is implemented, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Yalpanam, and is currently funded by Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry, (CACCI) Foundation.

The total commitment during this initial phase for Jaffna is about one million rupees, with International Alert is also pledging funding support for Jaffna Programme.

YBSL represented in Jaffna Investment Forum - (Jan 6, 2010)

Mr. Harin Malwatte, Chairman of the YBSL Working Committee, and also the Secretary General of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce briefed about the YBSL programme and role of the business community in engaging “responsible business” initiatives with CCC. He emphasized that in the post conflict development agenda of Jaffna, northern area; it is the duty of all private , public

sector agencies and individuals not to exclude the youth, youth aspirations and youth’s need to involve in the main stream development work. The Jaffna investment forum “Invest in Peace” was organized by the Business for Peace Alliance, and organization that encourages involvement of private sector in peace building.

YBI Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 competition

Global Entrepreneurship Week – an initiative to inspire young people in relation to entrepreneurship and explore their potential as self-starters and innovators was held in last November in UK. Juan Ramón Nuñez from Argentina was announced as the winner of the YBI Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 competition, one of the events of the week.

Nominee from Sri Lanka, Mustapha Mohamadu, from Hambantota YBP was shortlisted at the competition. Mr. Azmi Thassim, Director General, Trustee of YBSL participated at the above event representing Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL).

Mustapha from Hambantota recognized at YBI Awards 2009

The Entrepreneur of the Year Awards took place in London on the 16th of November 2009. The YBSL nominee Mustapha Mohamadu who is a beneficiary of Hambantota Youth Business programme was shortlisted for the Entrepreneur of the Year awards and subsequently been entered for the People’s Choice award. Mustapha Mohamadu was forced to rebuild his life from nothing when the 2004 Asian tsunami destroyed his business and his home. Instead of letting the catastrophe ruin his entrepreneurial dreams, with Youth Business Sri Lanka’s financing and expertise, he established a new enterprise - Murshida Gift and Fashion Company, which creates beautiful bags and purses from scrap leather. Since establishing his business in April 2007 it has gone from strength to strength and presently he employs ten people and markets his products across the whole country, with further expansion planned for the future.

Juan Ramón Nuñez from Argentina was awarded the YBI Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 competition. Ghadah Baaqil of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia won the People’s Choice Award. The YBI Entrepreneur of the Year competition is conducted to celebrate the achievements of young entrepreneurs around the world. At the fifth Global Conference organized by the YBI was held in Edinburgh in 2008, Nuwan Gunasekara, a beneficiary of Hambantota YBP, was awarded runner up place.

YBSL Progress Review Workshop - (November 2009)

YBSL Progress Review workshop was held in Kandy on Nov 6,2010 with participations of YBSL programme managers of Badulla, Kegalle and Trincomalee. YB programme information and advisory inputs were provided by the Mr. Lalith Wanniarachchi, Vice Chairman and Mr. Ranga Sameera, Programme Officer of the Hambantota YBP. The outputs of the field research activities (on Youth demographics, conducted by International Alert were also presented. An active discussion was facilitated between the field programme managers and the resource team from Hambantota YBP, whereby HBP team provided on the spot solutions to the most of issues raised by the new programme managers.

Ms Ruwanthi Jayasundera, Senior Programme Analyst at International Alert gave the third tranche of YBSL credit disbursement to the district chambers at this occasion.

Visit by Sarah McMillan YBI - (June 2009)

Sarah McMillan, the Operations Director of Princess Youth Business International (YBI), UK visited Sri Lanka in last June. With the primary objective of providing YBI network support to YBSL, she met the YBSL stakeholders in Colombo and exchanged views on the YBSL strategic focus and how the existing programmes could compliment YBSL programme. She also participated to the YBSL capacity building workshop, which was held in Kandy for the District Committee members of Kegalle, Badulla and Trincomalee, and presented on implementation challenges, mentoring, and importance of mobilizing for raising funds. She visited Hambantota YBP and

met several of the beneficiaries and the district committee.She participated to the YBSL Board of Trustees meeting held on June 23, 2009 at the Cinnamon Grand. Sarah, on her wrap up presentation, she emphasized the tapping into local CSR funds and working with local banks.

Maldives Exchange visit by YBSL Delegation - (June 2009)

As an outcome of the regional youth conference held in last March, the Maldives Ministry has organized an exchange visit to Maldives and the YBSL delegation, comprising Secretary-Ministry of Youth Affaires, Director General-National Youth Services Council, Senior Programme Coordinators of SPARC, University of Colombo and Sri Lanka office of International Alert and, National Programme Manager of YBSL visited Maldives in June 9-11, 2009. The visit consisted of meeting Maldivian counterparts and discussions with youth groups. The broader objectives of the

visit is to learn in detail, the various processes and initiatives that Maldives Youth Ministry has taken with National Youth Policy development and research on youth, and the to learn about the types of youth organizations active in the Maldives. The delegation the Minister of Youth Affairs of Government Maldives and other key officials engaged in youth activities. The officials of both countries agreed to work towards a programme of joint cooperation where each other’s experiences can be complimentary.

Mentoring programme - (January 2009)

YBSL has successfully conducted a mentor training program in Sabaragamuwa on the request of the Youth Employment programme (ILO-Japan YE programme) of International Labor office in Sri Lanka. With the objective of developing a pool of mentors to assist the youth employment programmes implemented by ILO-Japan programme in Sabaragamuwa, the mentorship programme provided mentor training and counseling, mentor manuals, and seminars/ workshops to aware the youth on mentoring. The programme was conducted with the full partnership with the Hambantota Youth Business Programme (HYBP). The first activity,

two sessions focusing on mentoring and selection of mentors for the mentorship programme was held in Kegalle and Ratnapura in December 2008. The second of the activities, a comprehensive mentor training programme for selected group of potential mentors; was held in Hambantota on January 27/28, 2009. During the final workshops which was held both in Kegalla and Ratnapura, the Mentor Manual prepared by YBSL with association of HYBP was presented to the trained mentors by the CTA of ILO-Japan Project.

Youth Conference - (March 2009)

Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, International Alert and Social Policy Analysis and Research Centre of University of Colombo, Sri Lanka held a regional youth conference under the theme “Youth as Partners for Sustainable Development and Socio-Political Stability: Experiences and Challenges from Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka” on 5th to the 6th of March, 2009 in Colombo. Together with the Secretaries of Ministry of Youth Affaires in Maldives and Nepal, Secretary Ministry of Youth Affaires, Mr. S Wirithamulla ; prominent experts, youth activists, business leaders, and senior bureaucrats from Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives were among the participants. The conference focused on

youth policy formulation, youth issues in relation to employment and education, the role of public – private sector partnership for youth empowerment, youth entrepreneurship development and employment initiatives and, conflict and involving youth in peace building and national integration. The delegates shared their experiences and challenges on youth issues in the respective countries. The engagement of Youth in national development would provide significant returns and it is a challenge that the government, private sector and all stakeholders should take up, said Mr. Sriyan De Wijeyaratne, the Country Manager of Microsoft Sri Lanka in his opening remarks.