By John Ekongo
WINDHOEK
Junior Achievement Namibia (JAN), a non-profit organisation that offers entrepreneurship training to young Namibian learners, recently held its awards ceremony.
The awards ceremony was meant to recognize individuals as well as the collective efforts of the participating schools, which took part in JAN’s Achievers programme for upcoming entrepreneurs.
The gala ceremony saw Katutura’s A. Shipena Secondary School scooping the top prize for Top Business Idea, Top Junior Achiever Company, Top Sales Company and Top Achiever for the Male section.
Following immediately behind them were their cross-town colleagues of Academia Secondary School.
The Academia Secondary School in their midst had the national Top Achiever for the Female section in Michelle De Koe, while the Top Achiever for the Males nationwide was Lukas Alfred of A. Shipena Secondary School.
The enterprising youth from Katutura won the coveted prize for Best Business Idea, with their company called Opportunity Ads.
Opportunity Ads is a small and medium advertising company that sells advertising space to various clients who need exposure in their community.
Johanna Cloete, the Country Director of JAN, says that the youth showed business acumen when they realized the viability of their services.
“They managed to produce something that had an impact on their community.”
On the other hand, the Gecko company from Academia Secondary School is a school-based company which recorded a profit of N$14 000 during the competition period last year.
Ali Iipinge, Head of Small and Medium Enterprises at the First National Bank of Namibia, expressed delight with the efforts of JAN to take entrepreneurship to schools in the country.
“It is an achievement to see that JAN is reaching to all the corners of this country.”
Iipinge stressed that the youth should look away from being the employed and focus on being the employer if “we are to seek economic growth”.