Africa-Press – Mauritius. A batch of 200 participants who followed courses from the National Co-operative College (NCC) were awarded certificates yesterday, in the presence of the Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives, Mr Soomilduth Bholah, at the Pont Lardier Community Centre in Bel Air Rivière Sèche.
The training, delivered in different localities so as not to disrupt the daily lives of the participants, targeted mainly housewives, the unemployed, and the youth so as to encourage them to become entrepreneurs.
The courses provided covered areas such as: Ayurvedic massage; pastry-making; ecological bag-making; fusion cooking; basketry; sewing; glass painting and pyrography; and interior decoration.
In his address, the Minister congratulated the participants for having successfully completed the programmes and commended them for their hard work and dedication.
“Consolidating professional capacity is the key element for the continuation and sustainability of entrepreneurship in Mauritius”, he pointed out.
As regards the women participants, Minister Bholah shared that this shows the courage and perseverance of these women who engage in entrepreneurship, whether in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), or Cooperatives, as they succeed in managing their households at the same time.
Moreover, he lauded the NCC for its initiative in setting up training programmes to help empower women. “The NCC remained true to its commitment in pursuing its mission to professionalise the cooperative movement through various training courses,” he acknowledged.
On this score, the Minister underlined that the Government is doing its utmost to support cooperatives and SMEs through financing plans, support schemes, access to markets, and new technologies.
“My Ministry continues to implement aid plans to support entrepreneurs and cooperatives as innovation remains the key to our economic survival,” he added.
Minister Bholah spoke on the determination of past graduates who have undergone training and have become examples by forming cooperatives, namely the Small Business Cooperative Society Limited, which is a group of women who have undergone training in sewing and interior decoration; and the l’Espoir de Bel Etang, who are in the process of setting up a cooperative after following a training in pastry making.
On this score, Mr Bholah appealed to the participants to encourage more people, especially the youths to join the cooperative movement as it is a sector that has considerably contributed to the socio-economic development of the country over the years and is now a key role player in the economy of Mauritius.
“The NCC offers courses that are in line with market realities and requirements thereby increasing your chances of being part of a cooperative business model which has proved to be successful and sustainable,” he stated.
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