Coop trains youth on savings and entrepreneurship

By Jeanevive D. Abangan

Wednesday 23rd of May 2012

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, May 22 (PIA) – The Tagum Cooperative held a training for youth dubbed Summer Saya 2012 on May 19 with the theme “Enhancing the Cooperative Movement through Youth Involvement.”

Now on its sixth year, the event was participated in by 252 young savers of Tagum Cooperative. It offered sessions on art workshop for 5 years old to seven years old, building youth leaders for eight years old to 12 years old, and building entrepreneurial skills for 13 years old to 17 years old young coop members.

Tagum Cooperative chairperson Norma Pereyras said the training emphasized the need to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship and leadership among children and youth.

Pereyras said that businesspersons have control of their time. “You can have time for your family; for community service,” she said. One need not simply find work after graduation, but find ways to become self-employed.

She added that they are also raising the consciousness of youth on saving money which can be used as capital to start a business.

Tagum Cooperative also intends to mold young members to become leaders who can someday take on the task as coop officials, and embrace the values and good governance principles through which the cooperative runs, Pereyras explained.

The cooperative now has about 30,000 young savers who are members of Tagum Coop Youth Laboratory, Power Teens, Youth Savers and Aflatoun Program.

“No matter how small our business may be but if we have a positive mindset, this can do good to improve our lives,” said Syvel Condor, a former Tagum Coop youth saver, who is now a roving teller.

During her college days Condor used to sell beads accessories that she did herself, earning her income she put into her savings account. “As youth savers, we learn entrepreneurship; we know the importance of saving money, of raising money,” she said. (PIA-11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)