Great Lakes Region

Youth think tank for Great Lakes

Those young people are from Burundi, DRC and Rwanda. They network for the development of the Great Lakes region by promoting entrepreneurial initiatives of young people.

Participants following the presentation

Participants following the presentation

According to them, it is difficult to achieve their goal as long as the principles of a free and open market society are not popularized.

On 19 January, they met in the capital Bujumbura to discuss the challenges that entrepreneurs face in the region. They all agree that governments can no longer give job to everyone. “However, it is possible to build dynamic economies through small and medium-sized businesses,” said Aimable Manirakiza, chair of the majority youth think tank.

He said these companies cannot last when governments keep a hand on them. He, however, said only the control must be limited. He insisted on innovation and originality of the initiatives.

“Entrepreneurship implies improvement. We must not undertake what already exists. We must be competitive on the market,” he said.

To reach a good number of people, this organization singles out the way of writing and the holding of conferences and seminars.

Manirakiza said his organization will support the research work whose relevance will be testified by the scientific committee of this Think tank.

He wished to emphasize that they are politically non-partisan. “We neither support the opposition nor the presidential party. We only want to contribute through research,” he said.

Manirakiza also said the research studies will help officials to identify the needs of the populations and improve their living conditions.

The work of this organization focuses on free trade, free market, private property and individual freedom.

Written by Egide Nikiza and translated by Diane Uwimana