LIFT URICA FROM POVERTY

LIFT URICA FROM POVERTY

We say a Happy New Year and a big THANK YOU to you – our dear Donors for your support. Due to your generous donations, we were able to raise US$1,975, which was more than  half of the US$3,300 we needed to get Urica started under our Support 20 Youth Incubators A Year Programme. We are grateful for your kind consideration. You could have easily chosen to support other causes, but you decided to spend your well-earned money on Urica.

“Lift Urica From Poverty” is one of the projects under our “Support 20 Youth Incubators” A Year Programme. Your contribution augmented our investments in Urica’s incubation. We were able to provide her with additional cooking utensils and tools. We provided her with funds on a regular basis, to purchase produce and ingredients for cooking. To help Urica market her services, we printed complimentary cards which she distributed to potential customers - individuals, companies, schools, churches, etc. We also put out a sign board to attract passers-by. We conducted a local market survey which helped her to price and size her meals realistically to attract and maintain customers. This involved sampling meals from her competitors for quality, price and value-for-money as well as reviewing what side plates and additional services they offered. To improve her services, we ensured that any feedback she received from her customers, was promptly and realistically factored into her plate size, pricing, types of meals, drinks, etc, to maintain and increase her customer base.

Urica had access to a mobile phone and the ICT Centre for research, marketing and learning. She received regular mentoring and counseling and improved her appreciation of marketing, customer service, money management and other aspects of business. Urica has very good marketing skills and a likable personality. She quickly increased the number of customers over this short period and her business skills also improved. However, due to continuous rise in prices, Urica’s incubation has not yielded any profit as projected. Furthermore, during the later part of her incubation, two burglaries occurred at her house and she lost several items. She also lost her babysitter, which has made it difficult for her to come regularly to TY. Urica has therefore taken a break to sort things out and will be re-joining TY in April 2014 to complete her incubation.

Please continue to support Urica and other unemployed youth into self-employment by donating to our Support 20 Youth Incubators A Year Programme at http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/support-20-youth-incubators. THANK YOU.