Empowerment has most certainly led to progress for participants on the Christian Youth Development and Empowerment Program (CYDEP) who are enrolled as students on the Small Business Management and Community Development Program (SBMCDP). This is a formal short leaning program run by the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in collaboration with the Hippo Mundo Charity (HMC), Brunstad Christian Church in South Africa (BCCSA), and Upriver Developments. (See article: A Milestone for the CYDEP)
In February 2024, 24 students commenced the VUT course. In the past six months the students have completed the following modules: Small Business Marketing; Small Business Financial Skills; Logistics and Transport; and are currently doing the Entrepreneurship and Social Development module which should be completed in September this year. At the mid-course review which was done in collaboration with HMC, VUT and BCCSA, to assess the effectiveness, intensity, and pace of the course for the students, improvements were noted for the upcoming modules and intakes. In his presentation at the review, Professor Wynard Grobler from the University of the North-West (who does continual evaluations of the CYDEP), elaborated on the Entrepreneurship and Social Development module of the course and gave some insight into its content.
Extract from Professor Grobler’s presentation:
Ability to identify Business Opportunities: Participants are learning to recognise gaps in the communities where a business venture could address a need or solve a problem.
Understanding of Basic Business Principles: This includes knowledge of business structures, legal requirements, and basic operational practices necessary for starting and running a business.
Knowledge of Social Entrepreneurship: Participants are starting to understand how businesses can have a positive impact on their communities beyond profit-making, such as creating jobs, supporting local development projects, and promoting social change.
(End of extract)
The application of the knowledge gained thus far on SBMCDP, has been put to practical use by the students who have started fundraising projects – a car wash and food sales which are run on the same principles as a small business. The profits from these initiatives are being allocated to the fundraising initiatives of BCCSA. This hands-on experience will be of benefit in the future as the students will have gained practical skills in entrepreneurship and financial management. These skills will be invaluable for starting their own businesses or contributing to community projects when they return to their home countries.
Judging from feedback from students, the VUT formal short learning program, sponsored and owned by the Hippo Mundo Charity (HMC), has been significantly beneficial.




Testimonies:
Joy Ekeocha (Nigeria):
“The VUT course has taught me about Business Management; how to satisfy my customers’ needs; how to market a product and create a budget etc. It has really helped me and when I go home, I want to apply what I have learned.”
Emmanuel Louis (Tanzania):
“The VUT course has meant a lot to me, and I have gained a deeper understanding of:
- What entrepreneurship is and how to be a creative entrepreneur.
- How to start and market a business successfully.
- How to prepare a budget.
- The importance of recording transactions and generally how to work with financial issues for a business or project.
- How to be a successful project manager.“
Gordon Omondi (Kenya):
“The VUT course has had a great impact on me. Getting to study Business Management has given me the crucial business ideas that I needed. It has also expanded my mind to think outside the box and given me a broader perspective of business management.”
Ian Musowa (Malawi):
“I have learned a lot from this course so far. I’ve learned how to identify opportunities and gaps in the market; how to satisfy customers; how to maintain competitive advantage by using SWOT; how to use and control my assets; the importance of recording stock; how to make budgets in order to minimise expenses and maximize profits. But to me the most important thing I’ve learned and what I am interested is, is how to become a successful project manager.”
Ogola Martin Nyumba (Tanzania):
“The VUT course has been good because now I know how to manage my business properly and to make sure everything is going well so that I don’t have losses.”
Soneschka Slabbert (South Africa):
“I have learned how to start up my own business, who the stakeholders are and the importance of the planning that needs to be done before I start a project or business.”