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Junior Achievement // Announces Top 10 Under 25 Youths in Entrepreneurship
What were you up to at the age of 18? Did you think of the status of mental health in your country? Or did you build/ create a website? Were you even thinking of a challenge that needed a solution? Me neither! Yet, these are some of the activities that we are about to see from young people in our community.
Junior Achievement Kenya, one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs which activates youth for future jobs, is identifying and appreciating the talent, passion, hard work, and above all innovativeness of young Kenyans. The company released 4 of the top 10 youths building mind-blowing businesses that are helping solve problems in health, clean energy, gender equality, education, and many more.
Junior Achievement partnered with Citibank Kenya to present various Awards won by ‘Project Yoof,’ which is a project founded by four students from Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls.
Mental health has always lurked in the crevices of the corners and every aspect is what makes it such a monstrous concept to tackle, but we hope to be the ones to change that perception in everyone’s life. Project Yoof is a platform that creates a safe space for young people where we can discuss and find solutions to our mental health issues.
Founded by Apetronila Maina, Shanice Kituu, Tatyana Murila, and Maya Amolo, Project Yoof seeks mission is to create a community of trust, compassion, and understanding so as to tackle the mental health challenges many young teens endure on their own.
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Earlier Project Yoof also won JA Africa’s Company of the Year Competition held virtually by JA Mauritius. Project Yoof, emerged as the overall winner of the competition, winning a $1,000 cash prize.
The team went ahead to compete at the Ralph de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Competition where they represented Africa, unfortunately, they didn’t win but went home with $5,000. The cheque worth $6,000 was awarded to the girls. They also won the Tomorrow Foundation Future Tech Award and the Project Management Award.
The team of 4 brilliant young ladies impressed the judges with its innovative social enterprise which leverages technology to make mental health services more accessible to young people. They created a Website that has 3 main services that aid different persons with various challenges. The services on the website include Habit Tracking, Journaling, and Self-Care which will help in a holistic support system.
Apetronila Maina, who is the company’s CEO has a passion for mental health and this pushed her to create a solution. The Business Studies student, while at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, saw the rise of the need to have a platform that enables youth to ‘Free their Mind’ with the various services offered to them on the website.
The Production Manager, Shanice Kituu who is planning on studying Mechatronics at the University, helped in building the platform. The aim of the Company is to establish a means for people to get the help they need with one click, and meet a counselor who will anonymously help them with their journey to wellness.
Project Yoof had to establish a primary target audience, the Marketing Manager, Tatyana Murila went through thorough market research in order to make this happen. The older generation did not embrace the platform, however, the youths saw the need to have a place where you can speak freely and also use services that will help track your growth.
The counselors and psychiatrists would need a proper method in which they will handle the clients that would be seeking their help. Maya Amolo, Human Resource Manager has the most appropriate way to do this and also ensure that the clients are helped as needed.
Covid-19 brought about anxiety, fear, worry, and concern that has affected the mental wellness of the population in Kenya.
These achievements have enabled the girls to fall on our Top 10 under 25 list. Our goal is to raise awareness with young people that there are many pathways to success today and even more in the future. Project Yoof Company from Nova Pioneer Tatu Girls has established one way. They are definitely Future Leaders and Innovators.
JA will be releasing a list of the remaining six top 10 under 25 young entrepreneurs in the coming days. Be on the lookout for the full list.
