While February arrived, so did our first cohort for our Pre-Accelerator programme! As you have probably read on our website in November (if not, you can still read it here!), we started developing a programme in which we target young Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs. The reason(s) for this? To name a few, the high levels of unemployment and the few job opportunities that exist amongst the youth. After a long period of preparations, curriculum development, brainstorm sessions, events, interviews and conversations with others in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this Monday was finally the day that we officially welcomed our first cohort to our impact hub in Freetown!
So, what now? Well, we have accepted 7 startups in our programme, which will run from February – May 2020. Throughout these four months, they will be working on their startup and developing their business idea. They can do that from our hub in Freetown as we make sure they have access to a computer and internet from Monday-Friday during business hours.
And what else? We guide them by means of interactive sessions, lectures, guest speakers, our network and mentorship, everything with a focus on peer-to-peer sharing and learning. The programme is divided into three phases, of which the second and third will involve mentorship – there we will link the startups with someone who can provide tailored advice to the startup’s needs.
Interested in becoming a mentor for one of the startups? Send an email to sr@aurorafoundation.is!
Any other questions? Feel free to send an email to sr@aurorafoundation.is!
