Mission
EYEA strives to create a safe space and opportunities for youths regardless of background or location to:
● Discover and express their abilities and skills &
● Build critical awareness, and create a favorable platform for a better future that is conducive to wealth creation, and employment through purposefully designed programs, solutions, and events.
Vision
Supporting and advocating towards creating enabling start-up and innovation ecosystems that youth entrepreneurs can flourish and thrive as a global community of changemakers that empowers the next generation of global citizens to advance and achieve greater good globally for themselves and others.
Core Values:
● Innovation
● Character
● Collaboration,
● Relevance
● Creativity,
● Pragmatism.
● Sustainability
● Result oriented.
● Strong working culture
OVERVIEW
EYEA is a civic society established on December 3, 2020, under Civil Societies Proclamation No. 1113/2019. Currently headquartered in Addis Ababa and plans to expand offices across Ethiopia. It is established to create a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem especially for the youth. In this regard, we
aspire mainly to create a conducive ease of doing business and regulatory environment as a package. We strongly believe, the youth have to take the lead as change makers and practical problem solvers with the objective of realizing systemic changes and widespread impact. As EYEA believes that, If the youth are inquisitive, open-minded and resourceful, we can achieve our goal and add value in the global context and setting. EYEA is strives to address significant challenges in the ecosystem including inadequate access to capital, limited business networks, and a lack of business education among others.
It is focused in promoting business growth and strengthening the start-up and entrepreneurship community in Ethiopia by providing guidance, education, mentorship, and access to networks, capital, and other resources for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. EYEA provides resources and support to young entrepreneurs in Ethiopia by partnering with relevant stakeholders in public sector, private sectors, development partners and other relevant stakeholder. It will also seek to foster collaboration between members via networking opportunities.
The primary targets of EYEA are the youth segment aged between 18-35 throughout the country, and
particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds. EYEA is also dedicated to create measurable impact in the lives of youth from disadvantaged and/or marginalized backgrounds. For the purpose the association implementations targeted career development seminars, capacity building programs,
mentorship opportunities, and workshops with the objective of creating a fertile ecosystem nationally.
In conclusion, the association believes in the power of youth entrepreneurs to effect positive change in their local societies and economies in turn build sustainable businesses. EYEA will push its objectives mainly through policy advocacy and capacity building initiatives.
Key Milestones of EYEA
– Registered 10,000 members from every regional state in Ethiopia except Tigray
– By Engaging with other youth led organizations and our partners we held a consultation workshop toward the ecosystem
– Established standard institutional framework
– Established strong internal team & advisors
– Maintained active presence in mainstream & digital media
– Signed 12 MOUs with public, developmental & private organizations & 5 of which started implementation
– Joined UNCDF – Women Digital Financial Inclusion (WDFI) Advocacy Hub and a champion for implementing project for 2023
– Created linkage between 16 Universities and launch a project with 3 of them in partnership with Fuel Africa program
– Launched Zelela monthly policy advocacy & networking platform and held for six consecutive rounds.
– A member of International Alliance of Youth Entrepreneurs Association (IAYEA) by representing Ethiopia