Empowering young entrepreneurs
As part of the STEP project, a four-day incubation and entrepreneurship training was held at the Incubation Centre of Tegbare-id Polytechnic College. The training brought together ten carefully selected students from Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, and Tegbare-id colleges, supported by three college staff members trained through the Train the Trainer (ToT) model. This setup ensured practical coaching and continuity, with the staff actively co-facilitating the training and mentoring students from their respective institutions.
On the first day, the students presented their individual business ideas. After group discussions and evaluation, one promising business idea per college was selected for further development using the Business Canvas Model. These three ideas became the focal point of the training, and at the end of the programme, the winning students received seed funding to continue working on their ventures with institutional support.
Ephrem H. Mariam from Dire Dawa College presented the Small Stone Crusher Machine, a business idea with strong industrial potential. The machine is designed to reduce or alter the form of waste materials, making them easier to process and reuse. It addresses a real opportunity for micro and small enterprises (MSEs). With the seed money, Ephrem will now conduct a feasibility study on-site, based on a practical field checklist.
From Bahir Dar College, Tinsae Girma impressed the jury with her innovative Baby Safety Cap (Helmet). Her project aims to design and develop a baby body protector to support Ethiopian mothers in safeguarding their children. The initiative not only addresses a tangible market need but also contributes to child welfare. The funding will help Tinsae further develop the design and test prototypes.
Haylemariyam Kelemwork, a student from Tegbare-id, pitched the idea of a Registrar Database System for Colleges (BPTC Registrar Database). Recognising inefficiencies and errors in current manual systems, Haylemariyam’s project offers a digital solution to centralize and streamline academic data management. With the support received, he will begin building a pilot version of the database for testing within the college environment.
The training was further enriched by a visit to the Iceaddis Creative Hub, where students and staff experienced an innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem first-hand. The programme also sparked institutional inspiration: Bahir Dar and Dire Dawa colleges expressed their commitment to establishing or enhancing their own incubation centres, building on the example of Tegbare-id.
