Pressemitteilung

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 05/07/2025

Ein bahnbrechendes Projekt, das aus einer Reaktion auf die Desillusionierung von Jugendlichen in Burundi entstand, wird nun mit erstaunlichen Ergebnissen auf internationaler Ebene umgesetzt.

Scripture Union International’s (SUI) Young Entrepreneur Program is helping young people find Biblical inspiration to create their own businesses, who in turn are helping support the ministry of Scripture Union by training and mentoring other young people in their countries.

SUI’s Sustain coordinator, Glenn Coombs, explained: “This project began after a conversation with a young man who attended a Scripture Union Bible study in Burundi and announced he was giving up on his education. When asked why, he told the SU director he had watched his family sell everything to educate his older siblings, who were now sitting at home with degrees, but no jobs. He couldn’t see the point in continuing with education.”

It was this shocking situation, not uncommon in Africa where almost a third of 15-35 year-olds are unemployed, that prompted SU Director in Burundi, Etienne Munezero, to give young people hope, by helping them to understand and respond to what God has to say about work and creativity in the Bible.

The initiative began in 2016 with limited resources and since then, Etienne has now seen many young people set up thriving businesses in response to what they have learned through training, coaching, and in their Bible study groups. 

One of the young entrepreneurs is Claude. He said: “Because of the teachings Scripture Union gave to me, Scripture Union has been a parent to me. Before, I couldn’t work, I neglected the job, but now I’m a hard worker because I employ about 100 employees.”

Claude has various businesses, including hiring out his motorcycles, a sand quarry and a brick making business. He said: “I do these activities to make money and I do this across many provinces. Because I do this faithfully, I get many clients. The entrepreneur and Bible training has changed me completely, and thanks to SU really, I am someone else.”

In 2023 Etienne was looking for further resources and support for his work with young people. Hearing about his initiative, members of the SUI team stepped in to help create a Young Entrepreneur Program with resources. After piloting the resource in Burundi in 2023, SUI officially launched and held the first Young Entrepreneurs Program for Cohort 1 in November 2024. 

Specially designed SURGE (Der Skriptionsverband setzt gottesfürchtige Unternehmer frei) Groups are a critical part of the Program, where the young entrepreneurs form support groups for Bible study, business and social support, and with a commitment to give back a share of their profits to the local community through SU.

Some of the new business ventures set up in Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, include a hair dressing salon, a pig rearing business, a restaurant, a community corn grinding machine, a sewing and tailoring workshop, honey making business, a beauty treatment enterprise, sanitary disposal business, among others.

According to SUI Project Management trainer, Nancy Kahuthia, breaking free from poverty, discovering new hope and purpose, and becoming instruments of community transformation through entrepreneurship is the heartbeat of the Young Entrepreneur Program. The young entrepreneurs are challenged to put God’s word into practice and have positive godly influence in their families and workplaces.

She said: “As they are equipped with biblical values, positive attitudes, knowledge and skills, these young people are able to reverse the trend of unemployment and enjoy lives full of purpose and hope.

“The program is all about ‘holistic ministry’, which is a key value for Scripture Union. We are seeing young people become confident to engage authentic sources of income and provide answers to their problems rather than waiting for their governments to help them.” 

“The aim is to equip 500 young people over a two-year period, with those trained forming Young Entrepreneurship SURGE groups, starting small businesses, as well as meeting for weekly Bible study. The SURGE groups are charged with the responsibility of training young people in their communities, creating a multiplier effect. Start-up grants and ongoing coaching and monitoring is also an important part of the program.”

As the program develops SUI has begun offering the training and opportunities to SU movements in Africa, and hopes to roll it out in other parts of the world. Scaling this program and adapting it for other areas in the world is now part of SUI´s new strategic plan.

According to participants who took part in Cohort 1 training in Uganda, the program has had a ripple effect, inspiring young people to take practical steps toward economic empowerment. Nancy said: “There are many stories of what can happen when passion meets opportunity. The future full of hope is here with us!”

SUI invites groups and individuals to consider supporting this program:

• It costs $150 dollars to train and walk alongside one individual for a year 

• SUI plans to train 250 individuals over the next year and hopes to raise around £30,000 in the coming months.

Über die Union der heiligen Schriften

Die Scripture Union ist eine weltweite Wohltätigkeitsorganisation, die dafür bekannt ist, Kinder und Jugendliche zu disziplinieren und Menschen jeden Alters zu helfen, Gott durch die Bibel und das Gebet zu begegnen. Aus einfachen Anfängen im Wohnzimmer eines Hauses in London, in denen ein junger Büroangestellter Kindern half, die Bibel auf eine für sie relevante und angemessene Weise zu verstehen, hat sich SU zu einer internationalen Bewegung entwickelt, die in mehr als 120 Ländern tätig ist.

Die Scripture Union ist weiterhin bestrebt, ihre Mission zu erfüllen, Kindern zu helfen, Gott durch die Bibel kennenzulernen, und dies auf der ganzen Welt durch indigene Führungs- und Fachprogramme und -dienste, die sorgfältig auf den Kontext jedes Landes und jeder Kultur zugeschnitten sind.