Programs

ANZA “New Beginnings”

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ANZA is Swahili for “NEW BEGINNINGS”.

ANZA is an entrepreneurship program designed and led by the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council (ACCEC) to help young people (18-30 years old) turn their business ideas into reality. It is designed to break the cycle of poverty, violence, and trauma many Black youth experience, by investing in community-driven solutions and empowering young people to create their own economic opportunities.

Edmonton Unlimited is proud to partner with ACCEC in the program delivery and content for the ANZA program to promote entrepreneurship for Black youth in Alberta alongside partners TD Canada Trust, Business Link, Prairies Economic Development Canada, and the Edmonton Police Service Youth Diversion Program.

Imelda is so thankful to the Anza Program because she never knew she could create a business on her own even though she always thought of it. Thanks to Anza and all the education she is having, she registered to get her certification on real estate/property management. In addition, she is now writing her business plan. She never thought that she could do such a thing. She said she is aware of the fact that she does not participate in class mostly because she is shy. But, she is working on that through interviews that she is conducting.

Khevin discovered that a business is not about the seller but what the buyer wants and needs. He liked and enjoyed going to Kingsway mall last Friday. Talking to people about his business idea allowed him to understand it more and discover which aspects of his business spoke to customers. And more importantly, he finally understood why It was important to collect his own data.

Jackie used to do her business as a hobby. She thought that being cheaper than the average helped her to have more clients. Now, she understood that business is not about being cheap, but rather selling a value. She is so happy to be working on her business planning. She now better understands her business and sees how she can make it productive. She is thinking to relaunch her business in September as a full-time activity, this time.

Thomas has been working on his shoe idea for the past 5 years. But, only within 4 weeks, he made countless progress through Anza. He went from not even knowing how to start, to having a 3D printed prototype, just within a matter of weeks. In addition, now he has a canvas, he sees how he is making progress week after week. After one step, he knows what is next.

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