It is difficult, not impossible, to develop an entrepreneurial mindset when one is already an adult. By then, some attitudes, which become difficult to break, would have been shaped and entrenched. That’s why only a select breed cut it in the cutthroat world of business. Such is the reality!
Nevertheless, the sustainable solution to increasing the number of successful entrepreneurs lies in inculcating a business mentality from a young age, asserts Moshe Seloko, who runs BizKid in Gaborone, Botswana.
The organisation runs programmes such as Enterpreneurship Training, Schools Vacation Skills Development Classes, December Career Development Bootcamps and Memory Development.
“We aim at creating an environment of accelerated growth of entrepreneurship resulting in positive impact on the lives of our children. Within this program,we encourage and nurture entrepreneurship,” Seloko says.
Driven by the mantra “facing an uncertain future, with certainty”, BizKid’s mission is “to teach young people about the future today”. The organisation targets young people from primary school level (9 to14 age group).
On why he decided to take children and not their parents, Seloko explains
“It’s easy the children to learn things because their minds aren’t polluted by the difficulties and challenges older people face. They believe that everything is possible.
“Children don’t have a lot their cups are still empty, easier to pour into their cups.”
With a social entrepreneurship model, BizKid’s mandate is relevant with the current economic path that the Botswana government has embarked on. It’s about playing a part in effecting social-economic change.
The government’s objective is diversifying the economy from overdependence on mineral resources by, amongst a host of means, promoting the country’s small micro and medium enterprises (SMME) sector. This augurs well with BizKid’s forte.
In general response to BizKid’s concept has been encouraging.After appearing to be skeptical at the beginning, many stakeholders have endorsed the idea of teaching children entrepreneurship early.
From having only three people when it started six years ago, Seloko says now BizKid serves over 25 schools in Botswana. “At the moment we have one school one school in each district. Now we have 45 children per school. Some schools have taken this programme as an extracurricular activity. Every week there is training. So far, we are impressed.”
“As the country is grappling with high unemployment, one of the government’s objectives is to see young people becoming entrepreneurs.”
Nonetheless, the biggest setback BizKid continues to face is the indifference of some parents to let their children learn about entrepreneurship. Nonetheless, Seloko acknowledges that change of attitude is a process not an event. “It will take time but I believe they will be changes at some point.”
Nothing could have prevented Seloko from getting an eight-to-five cushy job in a multinational and live in a lap of luxury with a thirteen pay cheque guaranteed at the end of the year. But he says his ambition ever since he was young has been to contribute to bringing positive change to society. “I have always asked myself the question: “How do I get myself from what I am to what I want to be.”
In 2016, Seloko reveals, BizKid has big plans up its sleeve. It will be franchising out small outlets.
Is his life all about work, work, work?
As much as he can, Seloko strives for a healthy balance in his life. Besides his heavy schedule, hee always finds time to travel and attend exhibitions. He enjoys outdoor activities, camping and meeting people.
As part its programme to extent its services beyond the classroom, BizKid runs a TV show on Botswana National Television. It is a competition for entrepreneurs, modeled on to Big Brother. The last person standing, the winner gets funding to start up their own business.
