Just before the holidays I went to London and had tea with the Prince of Wales. Yes, it’s true! The Prince is a great advocate for youth entrepreneurship, and founder of Youth Business International, a global network of programs that offer training, mentoring and access to capital to young people who want to start and grow businesses of their own. The MIF has partnered with YBI in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago, helping more than 1500 young entrepreneurs realize their dream, and generating employment for more than 3,000 people.
So in December, I represented the MIF at an event at Clarence House, the Prince’s official residence. There were many impressive and inspirational people there – business executives, international philanthropists, etc. I was very pleased to know that the Prince is aware of the work we do at the MIF and that he values our partnership. As we announced last fall when we released the new MIF youth strategy, we plan to increase our commitment to creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the region, so our experiences with YBI are very important to us.
But while enjoying tea and scones with such an elite group of people, I couldn’t help thinking that we were all there for the same reason – helping disadvantaged youth! One who comes to mind is a graphic designer that I saw back in October. During the Foromic conference in Barbados, a group of IDB executive directors and MIF staffers had the chance to visit the offices of Barbados Youth Business Trust, one of the local affiliates of YBI. The MIF has worked with BYBT since 2006. They are an example of how crucial mentoring is for entrepreneurs. The BYBT staff had set up a sort of bazaar for us, with about 20 young entrepreneurs showing off their new businesses. Some were selling products like shirts, jewelry, and bottled Caribbean sauces. Others had launched services, like a hair salon and a computer consulting firm. But the businessman who caught my eye was a young man called Junior.
I had met Junior before, during my first mission to Barbados. He suffered an accident when he was young and is partially paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. He’s a very talented artist and illustrator, and he had a large portfolio of his drawings to share. I was so glad to see that the ideas he had when we first met are starting to come true. He told me that, thanks to his business, he has overcome the depression he suffered after his accident, and has been able to buy a car and help his family. His next dream is to get married!
So whether in a royal palace or a windowless basement conference room, I find I meet inspirational people everywhere through my work with young entrepreneurs. It’s one of my favorite things about working at the MIF, and I look forward to meeting even more great people in the new year.