Twelve young Dominicans have received $45,000 under the Social Enterprise Incubator (SCI) Project to develop social entrepreneurship projects across the country. The initiative was created by the Youth Business Trust of Barbados and St. Lucia under the aegis of the European Union and launched in the country in May 2021 by the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT).
According to the Minister for Youths and Community Development, Gretta Roberts, the recipients had undergone the necessary trainings and mentoring before being qualified to receive the grants. The awardees will use the allocated funds to solve social problems through job creation, social networking, media marketing, community development, and environmental landscaping among others.
You have put in the work; you attended the trainings and business development sessions and received mentoring from our DYBT staff; you have kept the discipline needed throughout the course; and completed your plans and you are ready to go forth and make that difference in your communities. It is your fresh ideas and unique perspectives that will lead to innovative solutions to social and environmental issues. By using your creativity and innovation, you can address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Hon. Gretta Roberts, Minister for Youths and Community Development
The honourable minister told the new entrepreneurs that social entrepreneurship goes beyond profit-making to engineering social change. She tasked the awardees to come up with transforming ideas that will ease the burdens of others in society and make Dominica a better place for everyone. She urged them to apply social enterprise to add value to others in the community and to make a significant difference in today’s world.
We see young entrepreneurs with social missions geared towards assisting the underprivileged youths with after-school care through the development of an Internet café, the creation of employment for high school dropouts, the development of internship opportunities for Kalinago youth, providing living opportunities, and the reduction of mentally unstable persons within the community through positive social environmental support.
Hon. Gretta Roberts, Minister for Youths and Community Development
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