Young entrepreneurs face many challenges

Young Burundians entrepreneurs indicate that it is very difficult to run their own business in Burundi for several reasons. People don’t trust them because of lack of sufficient equity, professional experience and because of their active participation in political parties’ leagues.-By Lorraine Josiane Manishatse

Emile Uwezowamungu, Coordinator of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Park “Conflicts between different political parties’ leagues cause young entrepreneurs to lose credibility”.©Iwacu

In Burundi, the unemployment rate is very high. Some Burundians have adopted good ideas to create their own jobs in order to develop themselves or give employment to young people. The majority of them have created small enterprises according to their small equity. Those entrepreneurs indicate that they come across many challenges in doing their business. Consequently, some continue working hard despite difficulties while others give up.
Iradukunda Joseph Jib, the owner of Across Burundi (a service enterprise) indicates that it is very difficult to do business in Burundi because people have somehow prejudiced ideas against the youths. Those latter are considered as drunkard, smokers and careless. Then, it is very difficult to convince a big businessman to give market opportunities to young entrepreneurs. He adds that in Burundi, business is generally based on friendship.
The view is supported by Emile Nsengiyumva, Chairman of Mushrooms Company (SOCHA). He indicates that they are not friendly welcomed. “Looking for customers is not easy when you don’t have many people who should plead for you. As young people, we don’t have much relationship with people whom we have to do business,” he deplores. He also mentions that people often refuse to pay them in advance arguing that payment is operated after appreciating their work quality. “We can get a market for training people about mushrooms cultivation and when we ask for advance payment they refuse. It is very difficult for us because the training activities are very expensive while our equity is very small,” he explains.

Business for the youths is difficult for several reasons

According to Emile Uwezowamungu, Coordinator of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Park, there are many reasons showing how it is difficult for young entrepreneurs to run business. First of all, young people seem not to have experience in business. “People fear to give market to the youths because they think they don’t master completely what they do,” he regrets. Secondly, because the majority of young entrepreneurs have small capitals, experienced business men refuse to deal with them as they don’t have guarantee. They think that they are not able to fulfill their orders effectively and pay back their credit. Lastly, a very active participation of young Burundians in political parties’ leagues affects the youths’ business. In general, some people think that all the youths belong to political parties’ leagues. “Conflicts between different political parties’ leagues cause young entrepreneurs to lose credibility,” he regrets. Uwezowamungu asks young Burundian entrepreneurs to develop a cooperative and associative spirit in order to develop their activities. He also advices the youths to adhere to different political parties very carefully; instead of fighting each other, they should think about developing the entrepreneurship spirit by creating their own jobs. The government should know that unemployment is dangerous to the country by supporting young entrepreneurs to create economic activities.