Crescent Enterprises, one of the UAE most prominent companies, organized its Young Entrepreneur Business Camp for the second time. The multinational conglomerate, along with Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC), children between eight and thirteen took classes in entrepreneurial capabilities and soft skills.
The three-day event was part of the experimental phase of Sharjah’s entrepreneurship program to encourage technology-driven innovation and foster young talents in the Gulf region. Crescent Enterprises and SLC combined efforts to support female entrepreneurs. In the last seven months, both organizations co-hosted a series of several Young Entrepreneur Business Camps for nearly 30 local girls.
The workshops helped teenagers develop and conceptualize a business model and pitch potential investors. Next to the entrepreneurial skills, the sessions also focused on improving soft skills, team work, and critical thinking. In addition to that, the participants also used the paper prototyping technique to design and stimulate their mobile applications.
The young Moza Alnaimi, one of the students, talked about her app. She came up with an app providing school books online for free. It also featured an option to receive and submit the homework. Alnaimi appreciated the opportunity to take part in the initiative. As she said, when you started a business, it was not a big thing if you failed. It was the most valuable lesson she learnt from the classes, said the girl.
Ola al Haj Hussin, Corporate Citizenship Manager at Crescent Enterprises, said:
Children are truly the source of tomorrow’s ideas and innovation. It is important we teach them to create their own opportunities and thrive regardless of the economic situation or the job market. With this goal in mind, we are proud to collaborate with SLC in creating a unique learning environment that enables young entrepreneurs to grow into independent, confident and capable leaders.
She also added The Young Entrepreneur Business Camp needs more partners to keep educating tomorrow’s leaders with business skills and self-confidence. Ola al Haj Hussin encouraged all companies in the Gulf to take part in the initiative and spread it along the whole region.
Shaikha Al Sawaidi, the Manager of the SLC’s Talent Centre, added that these workshops were a vital part of the SLC’s Mushmis Summer Camp. As entrepreneurship and innovation were the lifeblood of the UAE economy, it was essential to equip young talents with the necessary skills to succeed in the future. In 2016, the program impacted nearly 35, 000 community members, teaching them valuable soft and business skills. Crescent Enterprises also established a strategic partnership with Sheraa to keep improving the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.