Entrepreneurship day hosted at Duinesig

Entrepreneurship day is a day held every year by schools across Namibia aimed at helping pupils at supporting the business development of future entrepreneurs, create peer-to-peer networks, create awareness among pupils on their potential career and to guide skills and knowledge.
Octavia Tsibes
Sinvula Esperanca and Nakashole Christina

This year Duinesig High School’s entrepreneurship day was hosted by the grade 9 and not the grade 10 due to the curriculum change. Pupils are trained on the different aspects of business starting from customer care, managing of the business and applying the right life and business ethics. The day was amazing for both learners and teachers as there was a lot of fun activities to be done. Different pupils with a different way of doing things worked together to make their sales day a huge success. Each class had a unique name and were not only identified by their group name but their same colored T-shirts. There were different business names namely: The Rhythm, B lack Movement, Fakaza movement, Shipikels and many more creative names. With all their hard work and long hours of getting their venue set and having to fetch tents at the navy, most of them pulled off a very well organized event.

The Rhythm was one the best businesses of the day as they targeted the right audience for their business. Most pupils made a disco as it is the most attractive towards adolescents as they all have a huge passion for music and thriving. Dancers were hired such as the Super Jaivas and well known DJ’s that the school always hires. We got to sit down with one of the entrepreneurs from Shipikels, Bianca Amakali. She advised the future grade 9’s on their E-Day. ‘’Plan weeks before the E-day and not a day before it. Money or funds should be divided equally in the group and as well as the responsibilities. She continued by telling us about the failures they faced during their planning. “Failures would surely be communication, not listening to others opinions and delaying our meetings on discussion about the E-Day. She continued by telling us about their greatest achievements: “On the E-Day we really helped one another despite us having our business and things to sell or services to provide. We also divided the little we got amongst ourselves equally. Not only that, but the customer service was satisfying. Bianca added, “I would firstly want to learn how to work with people and listen to others opinions or suggestions. Multi Tasking which would really help and the ability to work with time’’. Another source told us about her experience and her views on E-Day, she told us that “Team work and accountability as young as they are managed to make everything a success. Their team work skills have impressed me so much” The source added “Even though they had more restricted rules than the grade 10’s of last year, they managed to pull it off better”.

Despite being given such a big task at the age of 15, their age showed us how working together and planning helps. Anyone would say they have a few mentionable characteristics of an entrepreneur: persistence, hardworking, creative and successful.