The project ‘Impactful Entrepreneurship for Inclusion and Diversity in Africa,’ implemented in two Angolan cities, aims to support 45 youths aged between 14 and 18 in learning to transform simple ideas into small businesses, according to a statement.
The training will be provided by the Portuguese management school in collaboration with the Angolan NGO USEPHA, which specializes in the management of micro and small businesses.
“Empowering adolescents for financial sustainability is one of the objectives of this project, which operates in mining areas where child labor and forced marriages are prevalent,” the statement noted.
For ISCTE Business School, the establishment of businesses in critical sectors such as agri-food and IT “requires technical skills and the development of soft skills for negotiation, leading teams, and conflict resolution.”
The third phase of this program, which commenced in November 2024 and had a second edition in April, will start in August.
Starting in August, the program will be implemented in Dundo and Luena, “regions associated with rampant diamond mining, a sector generating significant wealth but rarely benefiting local populations,” ISCTE explained.
“Mining activities—often entirely informal and lacking proper regulation—have exacerbated issues like child labor, forced marriages, and the recruitment of adolescents by criminal networks,” emphasized program coordinator and school vice-president Renato Pereira.
The program plans ten training actions by 2027, teaching participants “to develop a business from the ground up,” including “budgeting, production planning, pricing, negotiating with partners, and clearly presenting ideas,” the document stressed.
Additionally, it aims to develop soft skills such as “integrity, networking, resilience in the face of persistent challenges, conflict resolution, and teamwork.”
“Outside the sessions, there will be weekly meetings at USEPHA’s headquarters in Dundo to deepen complementary knowledge, like IT tools and strategic use of social media,” explained the statement, noting that the NGO was founded by an ISCTE doctoral candidate, Angolan Adolfo Caiji Cabeia.
This project is linked to local institutions, including the provincial government of Lunda-Norte, the National Institute for SME Support (INAPEM), Lueji A’Nkonde University, and regional media outlets in Angola.
The project is funded by the Portuguese management institution within the context of the school’s strategic initiatives budget and is sponsored by some Angolan partners, it concluded.
