Gleno, 23/05/2023 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Skills (YEES) project, jointly funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UNDP, and the Government of Timor-Leste through MTCI conducted a launching ceremony of the Pre-Incubation (Grow Your Business Idea-GYBI) training in Ermera Municipality.

On Tuesday, UNDPs through YEES project conducted an official ceremony to launch the first pre-incubation training in the Municipality of Ermera. The event was attended by H.E. Minister of MCAE Mr. Joaquim Amaral, H.E. Vice-Minister of MTCI Mr. Domingos Lopes Antunes, H.E. Ambassador of South Korea to Timor-Leste Mr. SHIN, Man Taek, Secretary of Ermera Municipality Authority, Costantino Exposto, Executive Director of IADE Mr. Filomeno Belo, Country Director of KOICA, Ms. Eunju Cha, and UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Munkhtuya Altangerel. 

To address the limited opportunity for youth to be entrepreneurs, the UNDP established a partnership with the Entrepreneurship Development Support Institute (IADE) and the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport (SSYS) to provide pre-incubation trainings over four municipalities including Dili, Ermera, Baucau, and Liquica with the aim to nurture Timorese youth to be capable of developing business plans to open their business. The launching event of pre-incubation training in Ermera will be an official beginning of pre-incubation courses conducted by YEES project of UNDP a;nd IADE. 

The crucial role of youth in the development process of the country was underlined by the Minister of MCAE Mr. Joaquim Amaral, stating, “The youth have always been the center of development of the country, as they hold the power to contribute to the development process. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare the youth with the necessary skills in order to unlock their potential and through this training, the participants will learn about the importance of entrepreneurship and how it can contribute to the development of their respective communities” and the Vice Minister of MCI also added that “to diversify the economy and reduce poverty, it is crucial to invest in the productive sector. However, starting a business requires knowledge, skills, and resources. To address this challenge, we partnered with IADE to provide training on how to become a successful entrepreneur”

Ambassador of South Korea to Timor-Leste Mr. SHIN, Man Taek emphasized “Being an entrepreneur is not easy, but one should not be afraid to face challenges because it is through these challenges that success is achieved, I wish that this training would provide various business plans that young people can develop and contribute to the development of their country”. The ambassador also highlights the importance of taking the initiative to create job opportunities and becoming self-sufficient. As the country continues to progress and develop, more young people must invest their time and effort into creating opportunities for themselves and others. 

Meanwhile Secretary of Ermera Municipality Authority, Costantino Exposto, and Director of IADE, Mr. Filomeno Marcelino Belo expressed their deepest gratitude for the opportunity provided by the partnership activity between the UNDP and Korean Government. They hoped that participants would gain valuable lessons and benefits from this training.

A total of 107 participants selected from Ermera will attend the pre-incubation training, which will be operated for two months. The class will be divided into five classes, with each class consisting of 20 participants.

Furthermore, Ms. Munkhtuya Altangerel – The UNDP Resident Representative hoped that youths who participate in the Pre-incubation training can accumulate skills and knowledge to develop a feasible business plan with a remark that “Congratulation to all of you, you are being selected to participate in today’s training is a privilege that not every youth is having. Please maximize your learning opportunity and get all the resources you needed from all trainers and learning materials. Develop the most innovative business idea, dare to dream big, and hopefully one day we will see your businesses thrive and create many employments for the people of Timor-Leste”

Moving forward, UNDP also assures its commitment to keep supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in working on the issues of economic diversification and job creation. Under the YEES project, UNDP specifically supports the government action plans on enhancing employability for youth and nurturing youth entrepreneurs.

Contact Information: Hunjai LEE, Project Manager of YEES Project, UNDP (Knua Juventude Fila Liman – KJFL, Colmera, Dili Timor-Leste)