Catalisa youth program graduates excel as local entrepreneurs

Income generation and economic diversification is one of the three focal categories in TEPMA1’s Social Investment Strategy (SIS).

The Catalisa program, steered by private-sector implementation partner TechnoServe, is one of the key initiatives under this focal category. The program focuses on investing in agribusiness and youth development.

The agribusiness component of the program aims to support the demand of a growing economy as well as the existing opportunities afforded by the Mozambique LNG Project’s value chain to help deliver goods and services within the region.

The youth training component of the Catalisa program focuses on preparing the youth in the Palma District to enter a diversified workforce or become entrepreneurs.

Two participants start-up business activities are described below.

After completing the Catalisa Youth Program, Folai Martins Andeni decided to enroll in the Aftercare Program. Shortly after participating in the first workshop sessions, Folai and his friend and ex-colleague, Ija Fernando, came up with the idea of creating a fishmonger.

The project concept was presented and defended during a subsequent workshop session that focused on business ideas, and Folai and Ija decided to enter the business idea for the 4th round of the business plan competition.

As a result of the business plan competition’s new strategy, which seeks to combine theory with practice, Folai and his business partner Ija, like all the other contestants, received a $300 grant to test their business idea.

“The fishmonger is operating really well. We collect between 1,000 to 1,250 meticais per day in sales revenue. Our challenge is to be innovative in the service we offer our customers and to diversify our products little by little.” Folai added: “Even if I don’t win any prizes in this contest, I already feel like an entrepreneur! I’m learning a lot from this business. Thank you Catalisa for the opportunity.”

Folai and Ija are selling a wide range of fish: stone fish, safi, horse mackerel, etc. that they purchase locally, from fishermen in Palma Bay. They offer to process and clean the fish to interested customers, for a small fee.

“With the small profit we have been making, we have also introduced frozen chicken, to diversify the offer. Our biggest challenge is to gain more customers.”

Fazira Nassoro is a participant in the 4th round of the Catalisa Youth Program’s business plan competition. The competition is following a new approach, where young people create ideas and receive a small grant and technical assistance to test the feasibility of the idea, while participating in the competition.
“I have always dreamt of opening my own bakery”, says Fazira, “but I didn’t have the resources to do so. Thanks to my participation in the business plan competition, I received a small amount to test my business idea and here I am! Producing and selling bread!”

Every week, Fazir, like all the other competitors in the 4th edition of the business plan competition, participates in sessions and workshops with the Aftercare Program team.

During these sessions, they develop their business plans based on the “CANVAS model” that promotes combining theory with practice. One of the advantages of this model is that the participants, even if they do not win any prize at the end of the competition, have the opportunity to seek advice on challenges and stumbling blocks, and thus keep their businesses running smoothly after start-up.

Fazira produces and sells an average of 200 loaves of bread a day and sells them for 10 meticais each, at his point of sale installed at his home in Palma, in addition to home deliveries. Fazir earns an average daily income of 2000 meticais, resulting from his sales, but he still hopes to earn more.

“With the lessons on marketing, creativity and innovation, I am already introducing some small changes to ensure the satisfaction of my customers, such as ensuring hygiene and good conservation of bread and the introduction of pastries (“badjia”) at my sales point,” concluded Fazira.