Observer Report
Islamabad
Bahria University and Islamic International University, in partnership with the US government through the USAID, UNDP and the local business community, launched a digital platform to provide business incubation training to select entrepreneurs from the merged districts of Khyber, North Waziristan and South Waziristan.
According to USA’s press release here on FridayThe shift to online course work offers great new opportunities for developing business skills while COVID-19 public health precautions limit in-person meetings.
The training supports aspiring business leaders as they develop their ideas and products under the mentorship of highly experienced professionals. Candidates with the most innovative ideas will also receive an implementation grant. “This program is aligned with the Government of Pakistan’s strategy to empower youth from the merged districts and provide them with the skills to enhance their self-reliance, and thus build resilience,” said USAID/Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/FATA Director Randy Chester. “We are pleased to see how our partner institutions quickly adapted the formerly in-person course to an online format given the COVID-19 challenges, preventing a break in learning. It also challenges the participants to revise their business plans to adapt to or address the challenges the pandemic has introduced.” “Before this training, I had no idea about the essential components of a business,” said Jamaima Afridi, a young entrepreneur from Landi Kotal, Khyber.
