Good Practice Examples/Global Practices/Around the world

Business Incubator Project in Uganda

Objective and Background

The aim of the BIP is encourage and support young entrepreneurs from SOS CV as they develop their businesses to become successful, financially viable ventures. In doing so, the young entrepreneurs work towards becoming independent and self-reliant, while making a contribution to the socio-economic development of their local communities. As their businesses develop, incubator graduates have the potential to create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, commercialize new technologies and strengthen local economies. Some could ultimately contribute to innovations that could be of interest to operations at Deutsche Post DHL in the future.

Activity Description

Participants are encouraged to create businesses models to determine how their venture can make money; their business plan provides the details of the business. Interested candidates submit their business ideas, which are all reviewed in detail. All candidates are admitted to the GoTeach Business Incubator, where a team of 3-5 is assigned to 1-2 DHL mentors. They then take part in a workshop on preparing and implementing a business model/plan run by business consultants Enterprise Uganda. After the applicants complete the training, proposals are submitted for the first round of the selection process.

Basics of the BIP

• Target group for the competition: 18-30 year olds from existing SOS CVs both from FSP and FBC

• Mentors are DHL Uganda employees at any stage of their career with time, experience and connections to volunteer to support the young entrepreneurs

• Selection criteria: Application form, business plan proposal and business model
• Learning partner: Enterprise Uganda
• Applications submitted in English (mentoring can be done in local language)

Career Fair in Ghana, South Africa and Uganda

Objective and Background

• Show young people a variety of career opportunities offered by DHL, their customers and vendors
• Provide young people with insights into the professional working environment, and allow them to develop a vision of their future
• Involve and engage employees from different departments in interactive volunteering activities to be capitalized on as team building opportunities with a positive social impact
• Invite employees from different departments and representatives from customers to network and connect
• Strengthen relationships with our customers engaging them in our strategic SCR initiative
  

Activity Description

• Market stalls are set up by the departments to showcase the various career opportunites available. Be creative in offering young people interactive and innovative activities and give them the opportunity to meet people within that industry/vocation
• Panel discussion, engaging representatives from various professions throughout our departments and network to share the story of their career and educational path
• Other entertaining activities: sport tournaments, DJ and music, games
• Young people vote on and award the title of best market stall

“It has been a very inspiring experience, to interact with these young people, listen to their dreams and see the power of the few word we can tell them to help them shape their future.”

"Dream Big" Event in Indonesia

Objectives

Establish relationships between DHL volunteers and young people from SOS CV, encouraging them todream big when planning their future. By believing in their dreams, they can hopefully take a step towards shaping their own future.

Activity Description

Two inspiring speakers, one external (Dini Hajarrahmah, co-founder Wanderlust Indonesia) and one internal (Setiadi Lesmana from DHLE), share their success stories with young people from SOS CV. Building on this inspiration, DHL volunteers facilitated a focus group discussion in which SOS youngsters were to define their resolution and dream for 2015. DHL then gave a gift to each of the young people to support their dream/aspiration. The gift is connected to their resolution and dream. It doesn’t have to be expensive but it does help them focus on their dream.

More dreams and more inspiration. Then more dreams and a few more. Don’t think too small; think big, because thinking big makes you take big steps in the right direction. Then one morning you'll wake up and see your dream has come true,” Setiyadi said ( DHL Volunteer & Speaker)

Ton Kla Camp: Get Ready for the Business World in Thailand

Objectives

To prepare young people from SOS CV in Thailand for the working world. The youngsters graduate at various different educational levels and various programs and activities have been designed to equip them with the skills and knowledge they will need ready to become attractive applicants on the labor market.

Activity Description

A career-oriented camp was conducted over three days. Activities included ice-breaker activities, a session with a psychologist, an English class, an inspiration session with DHL staff, a personal presentation and personality class, an information sharing session with a major recruiting company in Thailand, Jobs DB. Participants were also given the chance to visit a DHL site in order to experience and learn about overall warehouse operation.

Mentorship Program in Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar and South Africa

Objective and Background

Young people from SOS CV have limited social contact and very little access to the world outside the village. As such, they often suffer from low self-confidence and feel the stigma attached to their background. We aim to open up their world to new people and experiences and in doing so foster personal development, confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills.

Activity Description

DHL middle and senior management who qualify for the mentorship program attend a 2-day training on mentorship delivered by professional DHL service providers. Rather than a child-specific approach, the mentoring training is generic so that colleagues are able to apply their skills in the workplace.

“I remember three days before the DHL interview I did not want to go because I didn’t know what they were going to ask in the interview. I called my mentor and she was super cool, she calmed me down, told me some possible questions and wow I was ready! She gave me my confidence back.”

Review the presentation here.

Chapter lead	Susanne Novotny