UJ and Dr Richard Maponya Institute celebrate Global Entrepreneurship week
FOURWAYS – The second annual Dr Richard Maponya Annual Lecture, in partnership with UJ looks to Brazil in solving issues of unemployment, poverty and unequality.
In celebrating global entrepreneurship week, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Dr Richard Maponya Institute for Skills and Entrepreneurship Development hosted the CEO of ActionAid International, Adriano Campolina.
Five hundred delegates attended the second annual lecture given by the institute, held at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways on November 19.
Keynote speaker Campolina, who is from Brazil, spoke about the important role that a government can play in facilitating entrepreneurship. He explained that change in Brazil happened when its government assisted small holding farmers who were producing a large portion of the country’s produce.
“This moved more than 15 million people from extreme poverty to middle-class income earners,” he noted.
Campolina, who started his professional career as dairy farmer working with local NGOs in Brazil, said that what Brazil has achieved in transforming the lives of its citizens was done over 10 years of planning and engaging all facets of its society to eradicate poverty and create a middle-class population through entrepreneurship.
He pointed out that easing access to markets and credit enabled entrepreneurs to grow, create jobs and expand the economy.
“What improved the economy of Brazil was the active role that the state played in creating policies that regulates social policies in job creation and this was supported by entrepreneurship,” he explained.
“Eighteen million jobs were created between 2002 and 2012, every school has a meal scheme that provides two meals to pupils per day. The food that pupils consume is produced by the local farmers and businesses in the areas where the schools are located. This created a market for the farmers, and as such improved the economy,” Campolina said.
He noted that issues of poverty and unemployment could be solved and dealt with through entrepreneurial initiatives and pointed out an example where an entrepreneurial initiative solved the water crisis in Brazil.
Esteemed businessman, Dr Maponya gave the guest of honour address and expressed his disappointment that 21 years after democracy South Africa had a large portion unemployed youth and pointed out the recent student protests that rocked the country, citing that free education will go a long way in combating poverty and unemployment.
“South Africans – from politicians to ordinary citizens and business people – must declare war against poverty, unemployment, and economic inequality,” he said.
