Utilizing the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge gained during a USAID activity, 24-year-old Azize Curri from Vushtrri/Vućitrn is already generating income from her business idea, “Ziza Sweets.” Azize was one of many young people who were recently part of the School of Entrepreneurship organized by USAID’s Up to Youth activity.
In addition to learning the fundamentals of creating a small business in the School of Entrepreneurship, Azize also met with business representatives in her community to gather data on market trends as part of Up to Youth’s rapid market assessment. “Thinking that you need lots of money to invest in a business idea is a misconception. All I needed was creativity, family support, and a smart business plan. I inherited my creativity and talent for cooking from my mother, while for business, I learned a lot from the Up to Youth training,” says Azize. She started by opening a social media account and has been actively promoting her sweets and cakes for several months. Although Azize doesn’t own a bakery or storefront, this has not slowed the market demand for her products. With the increasing popularity of online purchases through social media platforms during the pandemic, Azize was able to take advantage of this growing demand due to the skills and know-how she gained in the School of Entrepreneurship. The School of Entrepreneurship recently finished training sixty youth from its nine partner municipalities. The youth are not only bringing their ideas and passions to life but some, like Azize, are already generating an income from their hard work and contributing to a stronger economy.
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