Startup Guide Issue 16 | Página 9

BUSI NESS I NCUBATI ON PROGRAM FOR YOUTH OF NEW LY MERGED DI STRI CTS OF KP LAUNCHED A bus i ne s s i nc uba t i on pr og r a mme f or t he y out h of t he ne wl y me r g e d di s t r i c t s wa s l a unc he d i n I s l a ma ba d. Va r i ous g ov e r nme nt of f i c i a l s , r e pr e s e nt a t i v e s of US AI D, UNDP , The I ndus Ent r e pr e ne ur s ( Ti E) a nd y oung e nt r e pr e ne ur s f r om t he ne wl y me r g e d di s t r i c t s of Kh y be r Pa k ht unk hwa a t t e nde d t he c e r e mon y , whe r e Ms . S ha nda na Gul z a r Kha n, Me mbe r of t he Na t i ona l As s e mbl y , Cha i r pe r s on Commonwe a l t h Wome n Pa r l i a me nt a r i a ns , wa s t he c hi e f g ue s t . Bus i ne s s i nc uba t i on s e r v i c e s wi l l be pr ov i de d t o 180 a s pi r i ng e nt r e pr e ne ur s i nc l udi ng 54 wome n f r om Kh y be r , Nor t h a nd S out h Wa z i r i s t a n di s t r i c t s . The pr og r a mme wi l l pr ov i de t e c hni c a l a s s i s t a nc e i n t he f or m of me nt or i ng , c oa c hi ng a nd t r a i ni ng . The y oung e nt r e pr e ne ur s wi l l g o t hr oug h one - mont h i nc uba t i on t r a i ni ng , f ol l owe d b y a g r a nt pr ov i s i on/ di s t r i but i on a f t e r a ppr ov a l of t he i r bus i ne s s i de a s . The pr og r a mme i s i mpl e me nt e d b y Ti E I s l a ma ba d i n pa r t ne r s hi p wi t h Uni t e d Na t i ons De v e l opme nt Pr og r a mme - UNDP unde r t he US AI D f unde d F ATA Ec onomi c Re v i t a l i z a t i on Pr og r a mme ( F ERP) . S pe a k i ng a t t he c e r e mon y Wa s i m Ba r i , Ac t i v i t y Ma na g e r , US AI D s a i d, “ F ERP wi l l pr ov i de s us t a i na bl e i nc ome g e ne r a t i on a nd l i v e l i hood oppor t uni t i e s t o t he r e t ur ne e s of t he r e g i on who we r e di s pl a c e d due t o t he f or me r s e c ur i t y s i t ua t i on. Al l t he c ompone nt s of t he bus i ne s s i nc uba t i on pr og r a mme i nc l udi ng bus i ne s s de v e l opme nt g r a nt s , i n v e s t me nt c a pi t a l , a nd s k i l l s t r a i ni ng pr ov i de d t o t he pot e nt i a l be ne f i c i a r i e s f r om t he ne wl y me r g e d di s t r i c t s of KP a r e e qua l l y i mpor t a nt . T o i nc r e a s e t he s i z e of t he e c onomy , we s houl d a l wa y s s uppor t a nd i n v e s t i n s uc h i nc uba t i on v e nt ur e s a nd t r a i ni ng pr og r a mme s t ha t unl oc k t he pr os pe c t s f or s e l f - e mpl oy me nt a nd e c onomi c g r owt h. ” Mus t a f a Me hmood, Pr og r a mme Of f i c e r UNDP s t a t e d, “ F r om wor k i ng i n F ATA wi t h t he g ov e r nme nt of Pa k i s t a n s i nc e 2005, UNDP’ s e f f or t s ha v e a l wa y s s uc c e s s f ul l y s uppor t e d t he s us t a i na bl e r e t ur ns a nd r e ha bi l i t a t i on s t r a t e g y . ”