YBI Woman Entrepreneur of the Year:

Hambantota entrepreneur selected

A Sri Lankan woman entrepreneur, Fathuma Nisreen, from Hambantota, has been selected as the Youth Business International (YBI) Woman Entrepreneur of the Year, a spokesman from Youth Business Sri Lanka (YBSL) said. She is also among the four finalists who will compete for the YBI Entrepreneur of the year award for 2010.

The YBI Entrepreneur of the Year competition celebrates the achievements of successful young entrepreneurs around the world and inspires action to support youth enterprises. The competition, now in its fourth year, is about promoting youth entrepreneurship and demonstrating the impact small businesses can have on local communities, mainly through creating jobs and encouraging innovation. YBI network countries have selected the four finalists through voting and the finalists will be selected through an interview by an expert judging panel. The winner will be announced at the YBI Global Forum 2010 which will be held in Mexico City, this September.

In 2009, Fathuma Nisreen started her own business, 'Ramsi Fashion' which designs and manufactures traditional outfits, garments and bags, with funding received from the Hambantota Youth Business Program (HYBP), the Hambantota chapter of YBSL. Married and with five children to support, she supplements the family income with her husband who runs small light engineering repair shop.

Fathuma is an innovative woman with plenty of confidence and has become a role model in her community for her successes in overcoming the restrictions facing Muslim women entering business and she has been able to improve her position in society through her hard work and determination, said the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce Secretary General and a YBSL founder trustee Azmi Thassim. Through her business success, she has been able to show society that Muslim women too can engage in business activities and contribute to the economy as well as improve their livelihood, he further added.

HYBP not only provided initial startup capital, but also linked a business mentor to Fathuma. "The support and the advice I received from my mentor is invaluable. Being a woman, there have been many times that I needed someone to share my thoughts, discuss problems, seek support and, my mentor is always with me in such occasions, Fathuma said, acknowledging the contribution of her mentor, Amali Asurage. "Provision of a mentor is an integral element of the Youth Business Sri Lanka Program, and it is imperative that these upcoming young entrepreneurs be supported in their early stages for success", said YBSL and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Chairman Dr. Anura Ekanayake.

Youth Business Sri Lanka (www.ybsl.lk) is an accredited program of Youth Business International (YBI), and at present is implemented in six districts. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is the custodian of national expansion and houses the YBSL Secretariat.