Helping youth to create jobs for themselves

The Knua Centre provides a space for Lania to continue to contribute her knowledge to new hopeful youth entrepreneurs and to contribute to the common goal of reducing youth unemployment

July 2, 2018

Lania has established around 15-19 different business plans in her role

Before Knua, I didn’t enjoy being a trainer or teaching people. I didn’t like public speaking. Now I see how much I love it and that it is necessary to support younger people…’ says Lania Lopes Doutel Sarmento, 20, a junior business trainer at the Knua Juventude Fila-Liman Centre.

In Timor-Leste, creating job opportunities for youth across a diverse range of economic and businesses areas is a priority for ongoing development needs. The launch of the Knua Juventude Fila-Liman Centre in August 2017 which provides business training with the objective of improving youth entrepreneurship opportunities and business skills is a positive step towards reducing unemployment.

Prior to volunteering as a junior business trainer at the Knua Centre, Lania had already gained experience in delivering business training, through volunteering in different youth organizations and as part of previous UNDP initiatives. The Knua Centre provides a space for Lania to continue to contribute her knowledge to new hopeful youth entrepreneurs and to contribute to the common goal of reducing youth unemployment.

Before Knua, and even just after we opened, there was not much public awareness about what the Centre was doing so we started promotion and outreach programs, including visiting schools, universities, youth groups, and even inviting youths to come to Knua. Knua now works in collaboration with six youth organizations…’ says Lania.

Lania is positive that the Centre will have a lasting effect on the ability of youths to access business training and assistance. A lack of understanding of the business-start up process can impact Timorese youths’ ability to start their own businesses, Lania helps them to understand how they can develop and implement business ideas. Understanding the process of entrepreneurship helps youths to put their talents and skills in action.

Lania explains, ‘The youth of Timor-Leste have ideas and plans but we need to be able to support them. When people don’t know how to get support they will not do anything about their business ideas. I love to help people develop a business plan and enable them to put their ideas in to practice…’

Lania has established around 15-19 different business plans in her role. In the last three months at Knua, 10 different youths were able to develop business plans. The skills provided by Lania at the Knua Centre will support the positive development of the private sector economy in Timor-Leste, ultimately reducing youth unemployment and increasing civic engagement.

Lania hopes to continue her role as a business trainer and to strive towards achieving these goals.