Story

When Euniver Njeri joined DOT Kenya in 2012 to offer entrepreneurship training to community members in Eldoret, she was known for two things: her outspoken nature and her soft spot for young entrepreneurs.

The time she spent equipping youth with new skills affirmed her talent and interest in supporting young people to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit. She loved seeing young people share ideas and build networks with each other, and the experience gave her a deep understanding of the needs of young entrepreneurs in her community.

As the owner of her own gift and decor shop, Euniver knows how important it is for entrepreneurs to have strong networks and places to access support. She wanted to continue helping young people gain the confidence, skills, knowledge, tools, and networks to create opportunities for themselves and for others – just as DOT had helped her, and how she had helped hundreds of youth in her community through DOT’s youth leadership program.

In 2015, Euniver co-founded the Young Entrepreneurs Hub of East Africa (YEH), which provides a platform for young and aspiring entrepreneurs to improve their business skills through support groups, entrepreneur networks and events such as business boot camps.

“At DOT I got the opportunity to gain leadership, communication, and facilitation skills,” Euniver says. “My learnings from my DOT experience allowed me to start YEH.”
Euniver, through her work at YEH, brings together young entrepreneurs in East Africa to share ideas and build networks. She provides access to an online community, as well as coaching, tools, resources, and opportunities to help young East African entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Euniver is a skilled mentor and coach thanks to the training and support she received at DOT. More than 200 young people attribute their success in job placements and business startups to having been mentored by her. She has supported many young entrepreneurs take advantage of incredible opportunities. In 2015, 10 YEH members from Nairobi and Eldoret represented Kenya in the Ye! Boost Program. The one-year program provided entrepreneurship training, coaching, networking and international exchange opportunities to youth from Kenya, Ghana and the Philippines.

Euniver’s efforts have had a ripple effect in her community, turning young people with innovative ideas into confident entrepreneurs. She continues to receive support and mentoring from DOT as she works to turn YEH into a sustainable social enterprise.

“As a DOT alumnus, I have been able to access various professional development opportunities through the network including digital marketing training and more recently human-centered design thinking training focused on social entrepreneurship,” she says.

Euniver plans to continue reaching out to more young in East Africa and beyond, allowing them to become great entrepreneurs who can change their communities just as she has.

Euniver co-founded the Young Entrepreneurs Hub of East Africa (YEH), which provides a platform for young and aspiring entrepreneurs to improve their business skills through support groups, entrepreneur networks and events such as business boot camps.