Start-up entrepreneurs in Myanmar

Opposing Violence and Illegality
The path to independence

Myanmar (Burma) ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world. In many parts of the country, armed conflicts and illegality are still a daily reality. The project with the name of Start-up Entrepreneurs is located in the regions of Kachin and the Northern Shan in the northeast of the country.

Local initiatives taken by the Burmese NGO Moving Forward Together (MFT) have their roots in this project: The aim is to give young people education and training to improve their ability to process and market agricultural produce so they can establish their own independent existence. The objective is to provide them with an alternative to illegality and violence.

Since 2019, the partner of Moving Forward Together in Switzerland has been the Swiss Academy for Development (SA4D).

Education and training

In theoretical and practical classes, the young people gain the agricultural and entrepreneurial skills they need. Experience-oriented training days and excursions under the guidance of agricultural experts covering promising sustainable farming methods build the groundwork.

Practical courses on how to run a small business on a self-employed basis complement this training. The topics are: accounting, interacting with authorities, quality assurance, communication, marketing, teamwork, and social responsibility. In addition, participants learn how to work together cooperatively in regional and local markets.

The Swiss Academy for Development (SA4D) ensures the monitoring and evaluation of the project.