A baker by dawn and teacher by day in a coastal community, Anne dreams of expanding her business, with the hope of owning more sophisticated and spacious ovens, to even hiring additional pair of hands to increase her production and sales.

She sells each bun for K1 and currently makes K50 a day which amounts to K200- K250 in a week.

Her quest for a rise has been bolstered by a training on Entrepreneurship and Innovation facilitated by Think Place Australia to improve business viable and financial literacy skills.

The training conveniently held at her doorstep at Malasang village from Oct 24-28 was facilitated by local trainers Francesca Semoso and Roslyn Kenneth also from Bougainville.

Anne was delighted to be part of the training . She described it as an opportunity to join a network of small to medium entrepreneurs from neighbouring communities along the stretch of the Buka Island.

At this training, Anne was able to make new connections for her business venture, opening doors for an even greater collaboration with other incredible women and youth who are equally keen to grow their businesses.

She made a special mention of the opening session where she found it encouraging to be cheered by her fellow participants as she shared her aspirations during the introductory session.

Anne became emotional telling her story. These trainings are designed to prepare participants to be at their best and grow their business and mindset. The trainings are educational and is a great way for these innovative group of people, who have been working in isolation, to connect.

“I run a small SME, but my biggest challenge has been consistency to meet the demand. As an elementary teacher, I am required to prepare for school as well as attend to the chores at home. I wake up early to prepare wood for the fire, mix the ingredients and ensure I raise enough dough for the scones. Time management is therefore important. Some days are better than others. I am happy to be at this training. My main reason for coming is to share my experience and to learn, “ said Anne

Anne is one the forty-six aspiring entrepreneurs from neighbouring communities who met, with the support from UNDP, to train and is keen on accelerating her business ideas.

These trainings are part of the Bougainville Innovation Hubs project, set to equip Bougainville Women and Youth to foster employment and entrepreneurial skills to be able to access to business development skills and services from the Hub.

This project is funded by the Government of Japan through a triparty agreement between Autonomous Bougainville Government and UNDP.

Through this project, three Innovation Hubs will be built in Buka, Arawa and Buin so women and youth from Bougainville can look to utilising the resources and opportunities to begin their entrepreneurial journey, improve their financial literacy, and the necessary knowledge and skills to participate in a digital and technologically focused future.