Intafact Beverages Limited, a subsidiary of brewing giant SABMiller, yesterday announced the launch of its foundation known as “KickStart” initiative geared towards assisting young nascent entrepreneurs in the South East to kick off their own businesses. The programme was flagged off at the corporate office of SABMiller, makers of Hero Beer, Beta Malt, Castle Milk Stout and Grand Malt, located at the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State.

Addressing journalists on the KickStart initiative, the General Manager of the company, Mr. Lukas Van Deventer, said that SAB Miller has been in the forefront of assisting youths between the ages of 18 and 35 to build enduring and lasting entrepreneurial skills in areas where the company operates.

He noted that the programme, which will be an annual event, has already been implemented in countries like Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Nigeria with a recent launch in Ilesha, Osun State.

According to Deventer, the aim of the programme is to help create, develop and nurture a culture of entrepreneurship among the youths by promoting business skills, managerial awareness and material support.

He reeled out the managerial support programme to include developing complete business skills training, providing business grants as one time start-up capital for new businesses, giving of grants to support expansion of existing businesses and providing post investment support by way of mentorship and coaching.

In his words, “The major objective of the programme is to ensure that the teaming youth in the South East realise their entrepreneurial dreams and help the region further reduce undergraduate unemployment by engaging them meaningfully through this entrepreneurship programme that will help nurture and encourage them to bring their dreams and business aspirations to life.

“To this end, we have established a foundation, the SABMiller Hero’s Foundation, to pursue this singular objective.

“More than any other initiative, we are investing in the future of our region by helping to build a prosperous young society and this programme is the hallmark of our Corporate Social Investment (CSI) objectives to the areas in which we operate.”

Mr. Deventer said that the company will partner with like-minded agencies and organisations to help youths with business ideas to bring them to fruition.

He called on interested applicants to either apply through the SABMiller Hero’s Foundation’s website, which is currently under construction, or collect forms at designated centres in the states within the region.

The SABMiller General Manager disclosed that the judges will review and select viable proposals for the screening, adding that the final shortlist of successful applicants will go for an in-house training for a period of one month where they will be tutored on how to articulate their businesses to make them viable.

•Photo shows Lukas Van Deventer addressing journalists yesterday in Onitsha.