What will you do to protect your children? Everything. What will it take to prepare your teens to be financially independent entrepreneurs? Whatever is required! When will the change commence and who will propel it? Only you as a parent can answer that question.
South Africa’s unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2015 surged to 26.4%, the highest level since 2003, according to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) which was released by Statistics SA. Furthermore, the results of QLFS revealed that of the 35.8-million that made up the working age population (15-64 years):
- 15.5-million were employed
- 5.5-million were unemployed
- 14.8-million were considered to not be economically active
In a plight to act against South Africa’s soaring youth unemployment, one parent – Lydia Zingoni, the founder of SA Teen Entrepreneur – decided to answer the call by upskilling and mobilising SA’s youth. Rather than accept the status quo as is, Zingoni decided to stand up and plant seeds promoting a spirit and culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa.
True to the African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child, Zingoni aspires to reach out to as many of the approximately 18 million teenagers in South Africa by mobilising teen entrepreneurial clubs/societies, one school at a time. Funding remains a big obstacle.
“We as parents, individuals and/or companies can and must get involved. High School Societies / Idea Generation Workshops need to be looked into. For each R35 000 donated to the SA Teen Entrepreneur Foundation, 50 young lives will be empowered to be the possible solutions of the future. If ever there was a time to get involved in the future of our children, it is now. Contact us to get involved,” concludes Zingoni.
