Collaboration between Microsoft and Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB) in entrepreneurial training, business capital loans and business mentoring through YouthSpark program.
JAKARTA, October 11, 2014 – Microsoft and Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB) continued its commitment to empower youth in Indonesia with information and communication technology through YouthSpark program that began in Indonesia in 2013. In 2014, the implementation of YouthSpark will reach 2000 underprivileged youth in Jambi and will produce 148 children as young entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurs dare to dream and ready for action” is always echoed by Microsoft and YCAB to potential young entrepreneurs. The real action of this slogan is seen from Microsoft and YCAB effort in providing a structured entrepreneurial training, opportunities to obtain capital loans and business development assistance for underprivileged youth in Jambi.
Esther K Sianipar, Community Affairs Manager of Microsoft Indonesia, explains: “The program is an initiative of Microsoft Youthspark designed to create opportunities for hundreds of thousands of young people around the world. We invite young people to dream and empower the potential of young people to be able to change their world. Microsoft is also providing a grant in the amount of US $ 105,000 to YCAB. These funds are used to empower 2,000 underprivileged young people throughout Jambi so they are ready to become workers or entrepreneurs using Microsoft technologies.”
“We chose the town of Jambi for maximum support from Microsoft to YCAB for underprivileged children and school dropouts in Jambi so those from low-income families can take part in affordable education. Having started in Jakarta in 2013, followed by Jambi in 2014, we will be present in Manado in 2015. Through this long-term cooperation, we would like to reach 6,000 underprivileged youth throughout Indonesia,” Esther said.
Entrepreneurship training this time presented the Mayor of Jambi, H. Sharif Fasha, and the Chairman of HIPMI Jambi, Budi Setiawan to share motivation and good business strategy. For participants who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs, they will be invited back to participate in the next two business trainings and the opportunity to obtain a business loan capital and business mentoring over the next eight months. The event further includes a material event Online Marketing, marketing through social media and the use of Cloud Computing (Cloud Computing) in entrepreneurial activity.
In addition, Microsoft brings a Training of Trainers from Jakarta to equip local facilitators in Jambi in business development assistance for potential young entrepreneurs. The local facilitator will assist young entrepreneurs who managed to get in terms of commercial lending business and also the motivation to run his business.
YCAB was selected as a partner in the YouthSpark program for having the vision and mission that align with Microsoft, which are focused on the development of the younger generation to be ready to enter the world of work or entrepreneurship. Microsoft has collaborated with YCAB since 2011 in the use of software technology and the empowerment of the Learning Center.
Veronica Colondam, Founder / CEO YCAB added: “Through the collaboration between YCAB with Microsoft on this YouthSpark program, we invite and inspire everyone for a chance to be a young entrepreneur. In essence we make ourselves as productive citizens, self-sufficient and able to be independent. ”
“Everyone has to be responsive to technology, because if you’re not computer savvy, you will miss a lot of things. YCAB in collaboration with Microsoft hope not only everyone is self-employed, but able to know how to use technology so that its market reach not only the community but the global market as well. Technology brings us to the era of globalization with market penetration directly from the producer to the market. So there are two, we should have the ability to tech in marketing and we must have a framework of values that guide us to succeed,” said Veronica.
Meanwhile, Mr. H. Sharif Fasha, the Mayor of Jambi, as the host, keynote speaker and motivator for Youthspark program stated: “We welcome the commitment of Microsoft and Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa for entrepreneurship training for young people. As the vision of City of Jambi, to realize this city as a city of commerce and community based services that’s cultured. This opportunity should be utilized as much as possible for the young people of Indonesia, especially in Jambi to develop their business through the creative use of information technology, so that their business can grow well and fast with advanced information technology support, “said Sharif.
Microsoft remains committed to developing young people of Indonesia through the use of information technology and the support national entrepreneurship development program to encourage young people to become digital entrepreneurs.