The Citi Foundation sponsored ITS TYME pilot in Maiduguri has come to a successful close! Designed for out-of-school youth, this program empowered 250 internally displaced people (IDP) in the Bakassi Camp, Maiduguri, with entrepreneurial skills in sewing and fashion design, leather goods making, soap making, carpentry and farming.

The pilot programs ended successfully with a business plan competition, during which the participants displayed their products and discussed the process for learning the skills that enabled them to start the businesses. JAN senior management from Lagos attended the competition and presented the top ten winning teams with seed funding for their businesses, as well as equipment such as brand new sewing machines, leather materials for the shoe and bag makers, chemicals for the soap manufacturers and other equipment as needed. The participants were overwhelmed and thanked Junior Achievement and Citi Foundation for creating a path for them to become financially independent, leave the IDP camp and successfully reintegrate back into society as productive citizens. We are deeply grateful to Citi Foundation for sponsoring this project and to Neem Foundation for partnering with us to make this pilot program a success. We also thank Borno State government for their support at every stage of this journey.