What begins as a talent, a side business or a promising idea can become a lasting livelihood. In Kilifi County, Kenya, ten young entrepreneurs are preparing to take that next step.
Working across fashion, music, beauty, technology, agriculture and wellness, they are joining an eight-week mentorship programme designed to help them strengthen their businesses and plan for growth.
Each participant will receive guidance from an experienced professional in their field. They will build practical business skills, expand their networks and learn how to connect with customers, markets and financing opportunities.
For these young entrepreneurs, the programme offers something particularly valuable: support shaped around where they are now and where they want to go.
Different ideas, a shared ambition
The participants were selected from among Kilifi Innovation Hub users and DigiKen beneficiaries with businesses or promising ideas that could benefit from targeted mentorship.
Their ambitions reflect their different backgrounds and interests.
Amani Ali, a musician with a visual impairment and DigiKen Academy alumnus, wants to use digital platforms to grow his audience and develop his music into a sustainable personal brand.
Byron Ombok is balancing his computer science studies at Pwani University with a tailoring business. He hopes to bring his digital knowledge and creative interests together as the business grows.
Caroline Dama is developing Kidzo Beauty, while Rebecca Munga is working to expand Ageless Organics, a Kenyan brand producing natural wellness and beauty products.
Other participants are building businesses in agribusiness, fragrance, educational technology and digital services. Some are developing new enterprises, while others are working to strengthen businesses they have already started.
Different as their journeys may be, they are all considering the same next step: how to turn early progress into a business that can last.
“I may not see the stage today, but I clearly see the vision of where I am going. Through mentorship, meaningful connections, and opportunities provided by the Gender Transformative Mentorship Programme for Entrepreneurs, I believe I can turn my musical talent into a successful career.” - Amani Ali, Musician
Mentorship shaped around each business
The Gender Transformative Mentorship Programme for Entrepreneurs is implemented by Kilifi Innovation Hub with support from UNESCO through the Digital Platforms Kenya Programme, known as DigiKen. DigiKen is supported by the UN Joint SDG Fund.
Each participant is matched with a mentor whose professional experience reflects their sector and individual goals. The mentors bring experience from the creative industries, technology, agriculture, research, intellectual property and business development.
Participants will also visit their mentors’ workplaces. This will give them an opportunity to observe how established professionals operate, learn from their experiences and apply those lessons to their own work.
Turning guidance into business growth
Over eight weeks, participants will strengthen the skills needed to move their enterprises forward.
They will refine their business models, better understand their customers and learn how to market their products and services online. They will also explore digital platforms and AI tools that can help them work more effectively and reach wider audiences.
Financial readiness will be another important focus. Participants will learn about budgeting, cash flow, fundraising and preparing a business for investment. They will also engage with financial institutions and other partners who can connect them with new opportunities.
By the end of the programme, each entrepreneur is expected to have a business growth plan and pitch deck, stronger digital and financial skills, and a wider professional network to support their next steps.
“I hope to gain the mentorship, connections and business insights needed to grow Kidzo Beauty from a local idea into a strong, sustainable beauty brand.” - Caroline Dama, Founder of Kidzo Beauty
“I look forward to gaining mentorship, networks and practical business skills to better connect my technology, tailoring and digital skills into a growing enterprise.” -Byron Ombok, Computer Science Student and Entrepreneur
“Through this programme, I hope to gain the mentorship and connections needed to commercialize Ageless Organics and turn our seaweed resources into impactful wellness and beauty products.” -Rebecca Munga, Founder of Ageless Organics
Making opportunity more accessible
The cohort includes both young women and men. Its gender-transformative approach recognizes that they may face different barriers when accessing mentorship, professional networks, markets and finance.
Rather than offering the same support to everyone, the programme considers each participant’s circumstances and provides guidance aligned with their needs and ambitions.
This work contributes to DigiKen’s wider goal of helping young people develop the skills and connections needed to participate in Kenya’s growing digital economy. It also supports progress towards SDG 5 on Gender Equality, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
For these ten entrepreneurs in Kilifi, the journey starts with an idea they believe in. With the right advice and connections, it can become something much bigger.
For more information contact: Aakriti Kharel, Communication Officer, DigiKen, a.kharel [at] unesco.org (a[dot]kharel[at]unesco[dot]org)
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
