Here's How It Works

Generation Enterprise creates a clear path for youth to go from poverty to self-sufficiency to community leadership. Unlike training programs that prepare youth for jobs they may not find, we prepare youth to create jobs for themselves and for others. We invest deeply in our Fellows, and we keep working with them to realize a return on that investment – one that pays dividends for the whole community.

The Model Equips Our Fellows with Social Entrepeneurship Essentials

A long-term, community-oriented mindset Life on the streets is hard. Street youth can’t afford to plan for the long-term and invest in their communities when they are struggling to make ends meet. GEN gives them room to breathe, a chance to invest in themselves, and time to imagine a new future, in which they are more than hawkers, beggars, or criminals. They sign a code of conduct and support each other in setting an example.

Life, business, and technological skills We provide the “nuts and bolts” life skills (personal finance, decision-making, presenting oneself with confidence), business skills (accounting, marketing, customer service), and technological skills (using computers, external hard drives, cameras). Community leaders supplement on-the-job training and feedback with speeches and workshops.

Financial resources The most tangible – but least important – kind of support we give is money. Our Fellows earn stable, living-wage stipends, open bank account, and start saving money. Top performers receive loans, which they must repay with interest to assume ownership of their businesses.