Students In Free Enterprise [SIFE Kenya] in conjunction with the Inter Region Economic Network [IREN Kenya] will be hosting the 3^rd national university business and entrepreneurship exposition at the Panafric Hotel on Saturday May 28, 2005. 13 out of 15 SIFE teams have confirmed their participation in this year’s event. This event is a culmination of a year of outreach projects that have impacted communities in various parts of the country. More than 300 students from 13 university teams will be competing for the National Championship. The champion will advance to represent Kenya at the 2005 SIFE World Cup in Toronto Canada – October 2-7, where they will be competing with more than 40 National Champions from all over the world. At this competition, each of the 13 teams will present a 24-minute multimedia summary of the projects they developed and implemented in various parts of Kenya throughout the year.

SIFE Kenya is a network of university clubs aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and establish linkages between business ventures, institutions of higher learning and communities.

The students learn leadership skills, team work and entrepreneurship. They also apply ideas learnt from the classroom in the field. SIFE Kenya student graduates opt to start businesses and others stand out upon stand out upon graduation due to the field practice and get absorbed in the now competitive job market.

The communities on the other hand benefit from these ideas and seek to solve problems instead of relying on handouts and waiting for external solutions to problems they can and should solve on their own. This network also promotes the link between universities, the communities and businesses.

The Judging Companies contribute on ideas on how ideas on how student teams can improve their projects hence the quality of the impact to communities that are served by students. Judges network with students, faculty and other company CEOs. Judges help identify the best the best team that will students, Kenya during the World Cup Exposition on Entrepreneurship. Judges identify possible ways they can enhance their company community outreach through the student network by sponsoring special competition on selected themes.

Conclusion

Through outreach programs, SIFE students are helping the community confront issues such as illiteracy, an under-educated workforce, economic naivety, the dangers of deficit spending, and government over-regulation. SIFE provides students with invaluable experience, helping them hone their creativity, communication, leadership, team-building and management skills. These exercises develop community leaders and entrepreneurs who provide a highly trained, experienced, and motivated talent pool for business to recruit from. Financial support is needed and appreciated to help fund the leadership training sessions, expansion efforts, awards, and competition held each year. Time and expertise of business leaders is also crucial as judges and business to SIFE teams.