Africa-Press – Lesotho. Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise (rise International) has been awarded a grant by the US Embassy Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund amounting to $8,061 towards the establishment of a Tool Library for entrepreneurs in the Built Environment industry. The award was delivered on Thursday last week.
In his speech, the Manager of Partial Credit Guarantee Fund (PCGF) Nkopane Sehapi expressed gratitude to rise International for keeping their promise of assuring the position of humility, commitment, dedication, and determination to uphold and defend the interests of current and future Basotho entrepreneurs.
“It has been a very crucial year for entrepreneurs to come back in full operations since the Covid19 pandemic, let alone the crop of start-ups to make breakthroughs in business.
PCGF and the Ministry of Small Business, Cooperatives, and Marketing in collaboration with rise will soon launch a one of its kind model to assist graduates, businesses, and informal businesses countrywide,” Sehapi said.
Sehapi further revealed that the primary beneficiaries of this tool library are young Basotho entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 who are in the process of setting up their own businesses in the built environment.
“They are a mixture of carpenters, electrical and structural engineers, construction workers, plumbers as well as other artisans and craft workers.
Some will have been through Rise’s in loco fellowship program and others will be upcoming entrepreneurs wanting to set up their own businesses in the built environment in order to earn a living.
The secondary beneficiaries will be vulnerable communities with whom rise partners and through the in loco fellowship designs and builds much-needed infrastructure to improve the quality of lives by solving a social need.
Rise Country Director Reitumetse Nthako expressed gratitude to US Embassy: “It is a pleasure to have been a recipient of the US Embassy Self Help Grant which has enabled us to buy 69 tools in 3 different categories; power tools; bricklaying; and carpentry tools.
Through this tool library we are able to help all the pioneers who have graduated from our in loco program, as well as other Basotho youth who have businesses in the built environment, to excel and reach their fullest potential. Our overall vision as rise is to see job seekers become job creators. The Lesotho we want is in the hands of the youth. ”
United States Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Erika Lewis highlighted that in addition to efforts to strengthen the business ecosystem in Lesotho through the recently signed Millennium Challenge Corporation compact and support for expanded exports from Lesotho to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the United States is committed to working hand-in-hand with the private sector, civil society, and government to drive investment in innovation and creative solutions.
Lewis indicated that this grassroots project, which will build skills and opportunity, is a perfect example of what we can accomplish together. She further expressed that she is happy to know that rise has been working to help communities in Lesotho for 5 years and looks forward to future collaborations with Rise.
Relationships Inspiring Social Enterprise (rise International) has been awarded a grant by the US Embassy Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund amounting to $8,061 towards the establishment of a Tool Library for entrepreneurs in the Built Environment industry. The award was delivered on Thursday last week.
In his speech, the Manager of Partial Credit Guarantee Fund (PCGF) Nkopane Sehapi expressed gratitude to rise International for keeping their promise of assuring the position of humility, commitment, dedication, and determination to uphold and defend the interests of current and future Basotho entrepreneurs.
“It has been a very crucial year for entrepreneurs to come back in full operations since the Covid19 pandemic, let alone the crop of start-ups to make breakthroughs in business.
PCGF and the Ministry of Small Business, Cooperatives, and Marketing in collaboration with rise will soon launch a one of its kind model to assist graduates, businesses, and informal businesses countrywide,” Sehapi said.
Sehapi further revealed that the primary beneficiaries of this tool library are young Basotho entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35 who are in the process of setting up their own businesses in the built environment.
“They are a mixture of carpenters, electrical and structural engineers, construction workers, plumbers as well as other artisans and craft workers.
Some will have been through Rise’s in loco fellowship program and others will be upcoming entrepreneurs wanting to set up their own businesses in the built environment in order to earn a living.
The secondary beneficiaries will be vulnerable communities with whom rise partners and through the in loco fellowship designs and builds much-needed infrastructure to improve the quality of lives by solving a social need.
Rise Country Director Reitumetse Nthako expressed gratitude to US Embassy: “It is a pleasure to have been a recipient of the US Embassy Self Help Grant which has enabled us to buy 69 tools in 3 different categories; power tools; bricklaying; and carpentry tools.
Through this tool library we are able to help all the pioneers who have graduated from our in loco program, as well as other Basotho youth who have businesses in the built environment, to excel and reach their fullest potential. Our overall vision as rise is to see job seekers become job creators. The Lesotho we want is in the hands of the youth. ”
United States Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Erika Lewis highlighted that in addition to efforts to strengthen the business ecosystem in Lesotho through the recently signed Millennium Challenge Corporation compact and support for expanded exports from Lesotho to the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the United States is committed to working hand-in-hand with the private sector, civil society, and government to drive investment in innovation and creative solutions.
Lewis indicated that this grassroots project, which will build skills and opportunity, is a perfect example of what we can accomplish together. She further expressed that she is happy to know that rise has been working to help communities in Lesotho for 5 years and looks forward to future collaborations with Rise.
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