One of the ways each of SAP's Social Sabbatical teams prep for their journey, is to meet once a week to tackle "pre-work". During those meetings, a new part of the adventure is revealed to us. Additionally, the teams also prep for the experience by reading assigned articles, following new Twitter handles, and doing additional research on our own then presenting to our team members.
One of the articles my team read this week, I found especially thought-provoking. Tsega Belachew (@tsepeaces), contributor to Forbes, writes on 7 Trends Shaping Africa's Youth Employment Challenge: What Do Social Entrepreneurs Bring To The Conversation. They include:
It's really easy to say that if you throw money at a problem it should go away. But what I find so interesting, is that some of the most successful job creation programs this article outlines were created by young entrepreneurs using the problem to create solutions in very creative way.
To think that "70% of Africans are under the age of 30. By 2040, 50% of the world’s youth will be African, most of whom will be women and girls. With nearly half of the youth population in Africa currently unemployed or inactive—and 72% living on less than $2 per day—communities are finding it more urgent than ever to enable new avenues and solutions for the creation of quality jobs that make way for youth livelihoods and productivity." This is not just a problem for Africa, this is a problem for the world's citizens.
In my day job, I am always looking for ways to find transferrable, repeatable processes that create demand for our solutions and make my sales teams successful. Although these two scenarios are very different, I see a similarity in the hope that finding innovative ideas to help with problems like unemployment in South Africa, could also lead to better solutions closer to home. Tomorrow I find out exactly what my post will be in Johannesburg. Will my marketing skills combined with my strong academic background including a certificate in entrepreneurship from the University of Iowa be of use to my host organization? I'm not sure. But my hope is that like the young entrepreneurs Tsega writes about, my team's efforts will help our NGO accelerate their path to success.
One of the articles my team read this week, I found especially thought-provoking. Tsega Belachew (@tsepeaces), contributor to Forbes, writes on 7 Trends Shaping Africa's Youth Employment Challenge: What Do Social Entrepreneurs Bring To The Conversation. They include:
- Education as a “cure-for-all” is a myth
- “Traditional” forms of employment are being replaced due to rapid market and opportunity shifts
- Population growth and social inequality can be hurdles
- The informal sector is a source of “unsustainable opportunity”
- Rural and urban strategies present different challenges
- Public, business and citizen-sector organizations have a role to play
- Unemployment frustration leads to instability
It's really easy to say that if you throw money at a problem it should go away. But what I find so interesting, is that some of the most successful job creation programs this article outlines were created by young entrepreneurs using the problem to create solutions in very creative way.
To think that "70% of Africans are under the age of 30. By 2040, 50% of the world’s youth will be African, most of whom will be women and girls. With nearly half of the youth population in Africa currently unemployed or inactive—and 72% living on less than $2 per day—communities are finding it more urgent than ever to enable new avenues and solutions for the creation of quality jobs that make way for youth livelihoods and productivity." This is not just a problem for Africa, this is a problem for the world's citizens.
In my day job, I am always looking for ways to find transferrable, repeatable processes that create demand for our solutions and make my sales teams successful. Although these two scenarios are very different, I see a similarity in the hope that finding innovative ideas to help with problems like unemployment in South Africa, could also lead to better solutions closer to home. Tomorrow I find out exactly what my post will be in Johannesburg. Will my marketing skills combined with my strong academic background including a certificate in entrepreneurship from the University of Iowa be of use to my host organization? I'm not sure. But my hope is that like the young entrepreneurs Tsega writes about, my team's efforts will help our NGO accelerate their path to success.
(KIPP Ascend 7th Graders. "More Time on Task." Photo Courtesy of Ken Carl)
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