Peter N. Efande
10 March 2008
There's a saying that nothing lucrative comes easy, and hard work pays. Certainly this dictum is engrained in the psyche of some youths in the South West Province who do not fail to take their destiny in their hands as the Government makes efforts to redress the phenomenon of unemployment.
Through PIAASI (The Intergrated Support Project for Actors in the Informal Sector), more than 120 youths throughout the South West Province have benefitted from loans from this Project since 2005. The beneficiaries cut through a gamut of activities: hair dressers, "buyam sellams", call bax operators, those involved in electronics, etc. According to the PIAASI Provincial Technical Coordinator Mr Keyeh Denis Keyeh, the youthful beneficiaries have registered a 70 to 80 % success rate.
At the Molyko neighbourhood of Buea, one such success stories is the "Mega Electronics" which deals with electronics and household equipment. The Managing Director Mr Menkemcha Ezekiel, informed CT that he has four family members (himself inclusive) working in the business. With a Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (a rare field), he recoursed to this business initiative since his salary was irregular and he wasn't confirmed as a permanent lecturer at the National Advanced School of Public Works - Annex, Buea, where he lectured part-time for 13 years. "It's destiny that made me to start this business," he reveals.
He lauds PIAASI for what he terms the "liberal loan policy" and "the politeness of the officials who are always ready to listen and understand our problems." However, he blames taxation officials for their arrogance and for conducting a "repressive taxation policy which is not considerate to the youths and the economy in general."
The case study of "Mega Electronics" is not an isolated case. Another case in point is the Common Initiative Group (CIG) dubbed "Drims Ventures" still in Molyko (Buea) that has benefitted from PIAASI loans.
With hard work and determination, the doors are wide open for the youths to know where to knock and make ends meet. Luckily, some are not sitting on their laurels but continue to be involved in income-generating activities like cab drivers, caterers, farmers, etc. Most who spoke to CT claimed ignorance of the existence of encouraging initiatives like PIAASI. Sensitisation, therefore, is an indispensable tool.
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