From January to June this year Europe has received 105,000 illegal migrants coming from Africa's shores. That is triple that of the whole of last year which was 49,000. So far this year at least 1,865 have drowned at sea. In addition to Europe, South Africa is also having to bear the burden of hosting illegal migrants, which is resulting in many Xenophobic attacks and social tension. As many young Africans are fleeing their countries, they put themselves at great risk not knowing what lies ahead.
In Nigeria alone, innnocent young people are being lured to traffic drugs to Asia and elsewhere and if caught will face many years in prison or even worse the death sentence. What makes this more painful to digest, is that many of these young people are jobless graduates who are unable to find work to support themselves and their families and end up taking desperate measures to survive.
I am hoping that with this post, I will be able to encourage young people to put their destiny in their own hands and find ways to make it big at home. I have identified a few strategies that may help young people fulfil their future career goals without having to look abroad for risky opportunities that may make them worse off.
Blogging
In the age of the Internet this shouldn't be the case. Young people, regardless of where they come from should have access to resources that enable them to put their destiny in their own hands not in the hands of corrupt politicians .
In Nigeria alone, innnocent young people are being lured to traffic drugs to Asia and elsewhere and if caught will face many years in prison or even worse the death sentence. What makes this more painful to digest, is that many of these young people are jobless graduates who are unable to find work to support themselves and their families and end up taking desperate measures to survive.
I am hoping that with this post, I will be able to encourage young people to put their destiny in their own hands and find ways to make it big at home. I have identified a few strategies that may help young people fulfil their future career goals without having to look abroad for risky opportunities that may make them worse off.
Business Angels
If you are a young person hoping to do business, you may be able to find a business angel that will offer you funding to start a small business venture. An angel is someone that can fund your project and also provide mentoring to help your business succeed. Before you contact angels make sure you have a concrete business plan, with your cash flow and a one year profit and loss account. Be realistic and honest with your expectations but most importantly show passion and dedication to your idea. In fact, I will even advise that you continue reading the rest of this article to identify other money making opportunites to get involved in one year before you contact a business angel.
Angels are smart business owners, they are not stupid enough to throw away their money at just anyone, so if you do not show them a concrete money making business plan along with the dedication and passion, you may lose out on their assistance. Below are a few African angel networks that you can take note of:
Angels are smart business owners, they are not stupid enough to throw away their money at just anyone, so if you do not show them a concrete money making business plan along with the dedication and passion, you may lose out on their assistance. Below are a few African angel networks that you can take note of:
Blogging
Although exposed to the online world, many young Africans totally underestimate the power of blogging and how far it can take you in life. It's not just a case of putting words on a screen but rather exposing the world to your life and knowledge. As many African countries are exposed to the online world, it doesn't take much for bloggers to become local or national stars and if lucky, many bloggers have gone on to become international stars with readers from all over the world. Bloggers such as Onibalusi Bamdele, Linda Ikeji and Uche Eze of Bella Naija have taken advantage of Nigeria's huge population and created blogs that not only appeals to their country men but is also attracting international readers.
My advice will be to sacrifice one year in creating an influential blog. Be consistent even if you are not earning any money. Try and contact other influential bloggers to help you gain a wider audience. Bloggers have made it big simply by putting time and effort into their work. A little perseverance goes a long way. Once you have built a large audience take it to the next level, offer paid advertising on your blog or contact a business angel to help fund and grow your brand.
Vlogging
If you have a talent you want to show off, vlog it or you can simply vlog about your daily life, your village or city. Borrow a camera from someone and post your videos on Youtube. A few examples of vloggers who have made it big while still on the continent are Ugandan comedian Kansiime Ann , Nigerian make up artist That Igbo chick and a countless number of African musicians who have gone from rags to riches.
If you find you lack the support to borrow equipments why not volunteer at local media companies such as radio stations, newspapers and television companies to gain more exposure to the media world. Who knows they may be able to loan you equipments to help you move forward in your own ventures.
If you find you lack the support to borrow equipments why not volunteer at local media companies such as radio stations, newspapers and television companies to gain more exposure to the media world. Who knows they may be able to loan you equipments to help you move forward in your own ventures.
Unpaid Internships
Internships may seem like a waste fo time for some people but if carefully planned, it could be a life turning experience that will make your career. With internships, you will have the opportunity to connect with people within the industry as well as gain valuable experience and information within your chosen field of work,which in turn can help you build the stepping stones towards a fruitful career.
Don't make the mistake to only connect with big companies (which probably everyone else will be doing), most of the time, larger firms already have enough staff and too many internship requests, therefore it is highly likely they may not respond. Rather, contact small businesses, even a one man business can help you learn valuable skills. Imagine the amount of experience you can gain from a small tailoring business, rather than being the tea boy/girl in a large fashion firm, you may be needed for bigger responsibilities and later learn useful tailoring skills that can help you start your own small business. Many designers such as Duro Olowu were self taught and learnt most of their skills without spending a single penny.
Information Brokerage
You have probably never heard of that job, but in fact it is a business idea that generates income without breaking your bank account. An information broker simply charges people for the information they provide. It doesn't matter what kind of information it is, as long as it is valuable you are guaranteed it will be needed by someone. Not all information brokers charge for their services, in fact many magazines, newspapers as well Youtubers are all information brokers. Many Youtubers share their tutorials and are earning hundreds to thousands of pounds a month through Google Adsense, simply by sharing information. Their audience need not pay a penny but rather Google advertisers are paying their wages.
Going back to the tailoring example in the Internships section, with the skills you gained as an intern in the small tailoring company, that can be valuable information itself to teach others how to sew. You can then create a blog or a Youtube channel to transfer the skills you have learnt. The income you generate may be small to begin with but with consistency, perserverance and patience you will surely make it big in a year or so simply by building an audience. Your audience will be your gold mine, as advertisers will then rush to your business, paying you regular funds in order to capture the attention of your audience hoping they will buy their products.
Events Management
Similar to the Information brokerage business, events management is a fun and simple way to earn money as a young person. Organising events is simply about connecting people with people or connecting businesses with opportunities that may exist within the industry.
Let's say you are a young person living in Lagos, Nigeria, as we all know Lagos is a massively overcrowded, stressful city but you can take advantage of this. Many expats live in the city and struggle to find friends, so that's where you will come in. You can organise simple workshops and activities to get involved in to enable them to meet other people. On a larger scale, rather than connecting people with others, you can organise events and expos for national and international businesses to connect. Ideas such as Solar Power Expo, connecting solar power companies with the general population or even a Photography and Media expo. It's as simple as analyising the market to see what is needed and how much in demand it is.
Conclusion
Their are many ways to earn money as a young person but these are just a few examples, however don't always assume that the money will be instant, in fact being patient whilst building an audience is even more valuable than earning a monthly income as an employee. Just imagine the amount of money you can earn from your brand years after building your audience. The question is do you have the patience and perserverance to keep it going long term?
I am hoping that young people will consider the ideas I have placed rather than thinking the grass is greener elsewhere and running away from home. What lies across the borders may not be as fruitful as you think so why not stay at home and work with the little that is available to you?
If you have any other ideas that may help other young people please leave in the comments section
Internships may seem like a waste fo time for some people but if carefully planned, it could be a life turning experience that will make your career. With internships, you will have the opportunity to connect with people within the industry as well as gain valuable experience and information within your chosen field of work,which in turn can help you build the stepping stones towards a fruitful career.
Don't make the mistake to only connect with big companies (which probably everyone else will be doing), most of the time, larger firms already have enough staff and too many internship requests, therefore it is highly likely they may not respond. Rather, contact small businesses, even a one man business can help you learn valuable skills. Imagine the amount of experience you can gain from a small tailoring business, rather than being the tea boy/girl in a large fashion firm, you may be needed for bigger responsibilities and later learn useful tailoring skills that can help you start your own small business. Many designers such as Duro Olowu were self taught and learnt most of their skills without spending a single penny.
Information Brokerage
You have probably never heard of that job, but in fact it is a business idea that generates income without breaking your bank account. An information broker simply charges people for the information they provide. It doesn't matter what kind of information it is, as long as it is valuable you are guaranteed it will be needed by someone. Not all information brokers charge for their services, in fact many magazines, newspapers as well Youtubers are all information brokers. Many Youtubers share their tutorials and are earning hundreds to thousands of pounds a month through Google Adsense, simply by sharing information. Their audience need not pay a penny but rather Google advertisers are paying their wages.
Going back to the tailoring example in the Internships section, with the skills you gained as an intern in the small tailoring company, that can be valuable information itself to teach others how to sew. You can then create a blog or a Youtube channel to transfer the skills you have learnt. The income you generate may be small to begin with but with consistency, perserverance and patience you will surely make it big in a year or so simply by building an audience. Your audience will be your gold mine, as advertisers will then rush to your business, paying you regular funds in order to capture the attention of your audience hoping they will buy their products.
Events Management
Similar to the Information brokerage business, events management is a fun and simple way to earn money as a young person. Organising events is simply about connecting people with people or connecting businesses with opportunities that may exist within the industry.
Let's say you are a young person living in Lagos, Nigeria, as we all know Lagos is a massively overcrowded, stressful city but you can take advantage of this. Many expats live in the city and struggle to find friends, so that's where you will come in. You can organise simple workshops and activities to get involved in to enable them to meet other people. On a larger scale, rather than connecting people with others, you can organise events and expos for national and international businesses to connect. Ideas such as Solar Power Expo, connecting solar power companies with the general population or even a Photography and Media expo. It's as simple as analyising the market to see what is needed and how much in demand it is.
Conclusion
Their are many ways to earn money as a young person but these are just a few examples, however don't always assume that the money will be instant, in fact being patient whilst building an audience is even more valuable than earning a monthly income as an employee. Just imagine the amount of money you can earn from your brand years after building your audience. The question is do you have the patience and perserverance to keep it going long term?
I am hoping that young people will consider the ideas I have placed rather than thinking the grass is greener elsewhere and running away from home. What lies across the borders may not be as fruitful as you think so why not stay at home and work with the little that is available to you?
If you have any other ideas that may help other young people please leave in the comments section
Thanks for sharing this! Very informative!
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