Our purpose is to empower, develop and connect using creativity and development whilst honoring traditions and culture across continents. It sounds complicated but we see it in practice every single day. It requires great work, and we are constantly re-evaluating our practices.
One branch of Aurora Foundation is Aurora Impact. Aurora Impact has been up and running for 3 years now. In October our 5th cohort of start-ups arrived! Aurora Impact is focused on a variety of trainings and reaching out to young entrepreneurs of Sierra Leone. Facilitating a 5 month in house training program, providing working space, interactive teaching sessions, a creative environment, mentorship, a place to network, and other things that will help them grow and work towards their business ideas and goals.
There are many reasons for this initiative, one being the employment situation in Sierra Leone, which is immensely challenging, especially for young people, with an estimated 70% of youth being underemployed. At the same time, one of the smallest sectors in Sierra Leone, where only a few job opportunities exist, is the private business sector. This sector is also where the growth potential is probably the largest and the possibilities for start-ups are infinite. But the challenges to any start-up are enormous, no matter where they are in the world. Especially in a country where a lack of training opportunities and resources are quite substantial, the environment for young entrepreneurs is vastly challenging.
We wish our new cohort the best of luck and can’t wait to see them grow!
