Rumphi Celebrates Empowering 735 Young Entrepreneurs: 1st Cohort of Digital Business Program

A new chapter in youth entrepreneurship and digital transformation has begun in Rumphi District following the successful graduation of the first cohort of the Digital Business Program 2026-2027, where 735 young entrepreneurs were celebrated after completing practical training designed to strengthen their businesses and livelihoods.

Implemented by LICO as part of the Going Beyond Project in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust and the Mastercard Foundation, the Digital Business Program is empowering young people aged 18 to 35 years with essential digital, business, financial literacy, and personal development skills.

The first cohort surpassed its initial target of 625 Youth Peers, reaching 735 youth peers from across Rumphi District. The program has placed particular emphasis on supporting micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners, with 70 percent of participants being women, many of whom are running small-scale businesses to support themselves and their families. The graduation ceremony marked not only the completion of training but also a celebration of resilience, innovation, and the determination of young entrepreneurs who are using business as a pathway towards economic empowerment.

At the centre of the program’s success are 25 Youth Leaders who were trained and deployed as digital business facilitators within their communities. These young leaders played a critical role in identifying and enrolling disadvantaged entrepreneurs, delivering training, providing mentorship, and supporting participants throughout their entrepreneurial journey in the first cohort. Through their efforts, Youth Leaders have helped participants develop skills in entrepreneurship, financial management, digital transformation, community engagement, and personal development. The peer-led approach has enabled young entrepreneurs to learn from people within their own communities who understand their challenges and aspirations.

Youth leaders and LICO staff members who have been behind the celebration of youth peers in the first cohort.

The graduation also demonstrated the importance of partnerships and community support in strengthening youth businesses. In Mphompha, as one of the 25 designated centres implementing the Digital Business Program under Youth Leader Arthur Msowoya, a renowned businessperson, Mr. Happy Lwesha, who was the guest of honour, showed his commitment to youth empowerment by awarding MK100,000 business loans to one male and one female Youth Peer to support their entrepreneurial ventures.

Mr. Happy Lwesha presenting MK100,000 business loans to a youth peer during the graduation ceremony at Mphompha

Meanwhile, in Nkhamanga, Digital Business graduates under the leadership of Youth Leader Gift Nyirenda have attracted further opportunities through collaboration with the COMSIP Cooperative under the Tizidalire Project. Selected graduates will support the training of young people aged 18 to 35 years across Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe in business skills, helping strengthen entrepreneurship knowledge and improve income-generating activities among youth. Addition to this, more local business owners pledged to support YPs morally and financially. These achievements demonstrate the wider impact of the Digital Business Program, showing that trained young entrepreneurs can become agents of change within their communities.

Midien Simbeye (a youth leader) and her youth peers pose to mimic the Going Beyond arrow after completing a Digital Business class at Pharasito.

Beyond training, the program creates linkages between entrepreneurs and important institutions, including financial service providers, business registration bodies, and trade organisations. Through mentorship, peer learning, stakeholder engagement, and continuous monitoring, participants receive ongoing support to help them grow and sustain their businesses. The first cohort graduation represents the beginning of a larger vision. The Digital Business Program is implementing three targeted cohorts with a goal of reaching 1,875 young entrepreneurs over six months across Rumphi District.