By Aleeya Dasgupta | Special Projects Consultant
Dear friends and well-wishers,
It’s that time of the year again! Pretty lights, mulled wine, and festive cheer all around. We hope you have exciting plans to bring in the New Year and are surrounded by loved ones somewhere warm and cosy. Your support over the months will have helped many disadvantaged and at-risk youth enjoy a warmer holiday season as well.
Before the year comes to an end, we thought we would let you know what we’ve been up to:
Our first Lagos-based skills-building SME (small/medium enterprise), Zest, is steadily expanding its customer base as well as its social impact. Zest is a professional cleaning company that provides continuous on-the-job as well as classroom training, creating an environment that fosters constant upward mobility, and youth leadership. Zest is well on its way to its target of having created 100 career paths by 2017, and we are thrilled to be getting to know a little more about the people and lives behind those 100 careers, every day. Since June, Zest has grown its customer base by 70%, and revenue by a whopping 1000%.
Ignite Ideas, the youth incubator and entrepreneurship competition we host in partnership with the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre and the Lagos State Government started its second round in November 2015, and received almost300 applications. 189 of these were accepted, and the finalists are currently in training, quickly on their way to becoming unrestrained entrepreneurs. Each winner at Ignite Ideas will receive a sum of N100,000 (USD 500) as well as seed capital for their business ideas and a full year of mentorship and incubation by a distinguished committee of successful entrepreneurs.
In the last two months, we have had 2 new ZESTars and 3 new venture developers join the GEN family. We are incredibly grateful to have a devoted team and supporters like you on our side as we embark upon a new year full of new adventures. Have a great one!
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