Impact Stories & Blogs

Vulcain Yengo, Republic of Congo, Cohort 1, Civic Leadership

Landing in Brazzaville, we had a lot of expectations. We had heard a lot about our alumnus, Vulcain Yengo, who runs Entraide, an NGO on the outskirts of Brazzaville town. Entraide means mutual aid. The organization specializes in youth entrepreneurship training and was established in 2012 with a mission to develop the entrepreneurial potential of Africans for personal development and sustainable autonomy. Services offered include training, business incubation, international conferencing on entrepreneurship and coaching. Whereas participants must pay a fee of $40, they gain access to a lot of resources to facilitate them turn ideas into
actual sustainable projects. Some of those with amazing activities are trained and matched with investors to pursue their ideas.

The organization delivers their impact through six main facets namely; training, support fund for the graduates in form of microcredits (200-250 dollars) at zero interest rate, 365-day incubation of amazing ideas, an alumni network, ‘Nduenga‘ (wisdom) International Conference and the E-SMA android app for managing enterprises. 
With a well-established management structure, Entraide can monitor and evaluate its activities and impact simultaneously. By the time of our visit over 1000 youths
had been trained. Through the multiplier effect, over 5000 people have been impacted. Over 400 people have attended the ‘Nduenga’ Conference during which awards for the ‘Nduenga’ Start up Competition were given as follows: 21st Dec 2013: 2 Projects (Yoghurt & Project Agriculture);19th Dec 2015: 6 Projects awarded;10th Dec 2016: 4 Projects awarded.

Vulcain attributes the success of these projects to his personal experience at YALI RLC EA, his own sacrifice and dedication where he must translate learning material to French and largely to the successful network of partners he acquired in the US while pursuing his studies at Brigham Young University, a private university in Provo, Uttah. Some of the college mates are among the founders of the organization. Apart from supporting him in fundraising, they mobilize donations and visit at least once a year to see the impact of their donations.

He joined YALI RLC EA, for the inaugural cohort in July 2015 when the organisation had just started. He had just finished his studies (2010 – 2014) in the US. When asked on how YALI RLC EA  contributed to his success, “I attribute my people management skills to the training. I am able to delegate duties and also gained other skills that have seen my organization expand hence hiring more personnel. I currently have 5 employees.”

Yengo also participated in a USAIDF Competition while at YALI RLC EA that won him 10,000 dollars that helped him start his own business that has also employed people and continues to support his family. Finally,Yengo recalls meeting two Congolese youth while at YALI RLC EA that he initially partnered with the initiative
before separating ways to establish their own initiatives. He reckons that it seemed more impactful for them to go forth and establish their own ventures and supports them when need be. He has also helped one of his trainees Divin, Mountissa Louzolo (Cohort 24), Entrepreneurship Track who now runs one of the LLC Solar
Charging Kiosks (a product of Entraide).

On the future of Entraide, Yengo hopes to spread the message of YALI RLC EA and increase number of applicants from the country. He also showed the team the expansion plans, more rooms in the facility and hopes to acquire the building that currently is on a 30 years lease. He also wishes to patent the LLC Solar Charging Kiosk which is one of their innovations tackling the power shortage in Brazzaville.