Entrepreneurs in East Sepik Province have learnt a lot from a weeklong workshop that was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which aimed to equip them with essential management skills and promote gender equality in leadership roles in agri-business groups.
Forty eight people participated in the workshop, including women and youths. The participants were assigned interactive group exercises on how to prepare cashbooks, debtors’ records, credit records, labour records, cash flow, and balance sheets, to better manage the revenues and expenses of businesses.
The FAO Gender and Youth Inclusion Specialist Patu Shang, who led the capacity-building workshop, said poor accountability and management are the leading cause of business failure. One of the reasons for the many failures is that women and youths are often not included in leadership positions within groups. The workshop aimed to up skill women and youth in managerial positions, thereby building their confidence to manage the operation of their group businesses for sustainability.
A female participant Lindsay Kiang, Secretary of Mate Fish Farming Group from Burui-Kunai LLG, Wosera-Gawi District, expressed her satisfaction with the training.
“What I have learned is more important than the boats and cars we need for our businesses because these are material things that will not last long, but the information with skills and knowledge that have been imparted unto us, such as how to manage our money, is enduring and will support us in the long run, not only in our businesses but also in our daily living,” Kiang said.
