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Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
A TOTAL of 200 small scale entrepreneurs in Bulawayo graduated with certificates last Friday after completing a 12-month vocational training course.

The Bulawayo Project Centre (BPC), an inter-denominational non-governmental organisation, facilitated the training which covered different hand skills such as hairdressing, carpentry, beauty therapy, baking and catering, welding, dress making, home decor, business management, motor mechanics and computers.

The graduates comprised youth and adult residents drawn from different suburbs where the organisation has set up its centres. The graduation event was held at one of the centres in Nketa 7.

Guest of honour and managing director of Footprint Preschool Susan Sibanda urged the entrepreneurs to continue striving to achieve their goals.

“I’m the managing director at Footprint but for me to be where I am I started right at the bottom. I did market gardening until l managed to establish the preschool. Those who have graduated today should also utilise the knowledge they’ve acquired,” she said.

BPC managing director Susan Rice said her institution was established in 1993 by local churches who found the need to assist aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Since then 3,000 entrepreneurs have graduated. Today students who finished their studies are being given their certificates,” she said.

“Our goal is to give a stepping stone. If someone wants to be a hairdresser and own a salon someday, we offer them hair dressing skills. By so doing they have somewhere to begin with,” she said.

Amongst the graduates were vendors who did business management courses. “I’m happy to have graduated today. Now I’ve business management skills to enable me to manage my small business,” said one of the graduates who identified herself as Mrs Nyoni.