After years of research and development, Phase 1 of BBN was launched in September 2008 to test the acceptance of the BBN 5-3-1 Community Success Plan, a 2-Tier Entrepreneur Strategy (Business + Social) focused on win-win solutions that enlists the willing support and the working together of the three essential stakeholders, i.e Business, the General Public and our Youth.
As at the end of March 2009 BBN achieved:
Business: 100 BBN “Go ProActive Business Members”.
General Public: 1,400 BBN “Community Action Partners”.
The Youth: We are currently rolling out our “Yes I Can” 5 Mountain Entrepreneur Development System & Challenge in two schools namely Elkanah House High School, Table View and the Sinenjongo High School, Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton. These are Grade 10/11 Learners who are growing in entrepreneurship knowledge and ability as well as people of value.
Business Liason Executives: Four professional BBN representatives who are calling on business as well as on members of the public to introduce BBN and enlist their support.
We consider this to be a fair reflection of the concern and willingness to support BBN on the part of the three essential stakeholders. Consequently we have upgraded the BBN Blaauwberg Pilot Project to that of BBN Project Blaauwberg and the BBN Initiative to that of the BBN – Building Bridges Nationwide Organisation. Funding up to now has been through personal and private funding, however, we will now be seeking growth funding and have formed an alliance with SHEP SA Section 21 NPO for this purpose.
This website goes into detail as to how the growing number of businessmen/women and concerned members of the public are supporting the rolling out the BBN plan to inspire, encourage and support a generation of job creators. Our goal is to have the support of an entire community, so that we begin to generate sufficient jobs that works to reduce poverty and crime as well as the negative findings of the GEM Report on South Africa. Once we are satisfied with the progress of BBN Project Blaauwberg, we will train the trainers to duplicate BBN – Building Bridges Nationwide throughout South Africa.
Imagine...
Compared to the times in which their parents and grandparents lives the challenges facing the youth in our communities has become more challenging. There are no jobs or very few waiting for our young job seekers... 
Over the years that it took to develop the BBN and Yes I Can Initiatives we began to look at ways that would benefit the entire community including the business community. We adopted what we called a 2-Tier Entrepreneur...
BBN’s 5-3-1 Community Success Methodology is a practical plan developed by business to mobilise the com-munity to effectively address unemployment that leads to crime. ... 
If you have read the GEM – Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report on South Africa, you will realize how important it is for the business community to play much more of a leadership role in our communities, particularly in the area of entrepreneur development and job creation.... 
Young people have much to learn from seasoned and experienced businessmen and women. One of the lessons would be to choose the right mountain to begin climbing (right track to run on) as they make important decisions and begin their journey in life. The ABC Mountain Story explains the difference between the wrong mountains and the right mountain to follow/climb.... 
Jessie (in white shirt) turned the distasteful chore of picking up dog’s pooh into an entrepreneur project when he saw the opportunity of selling his services to others in the neighbourhood. Soon his friend, John (left in picture), began offering the same service in another part of the neighbourhood. For his innovative thinking, Jessie received the Young Innovator Bronze Award and has been identified as a future job creator ... 
19 Learners of the Sinenjongo High School, Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton have been selected to be developed as young entrepreneurs through the BBN – Yes I Can Programme. Five of the 19 represented their class at a special BBN Business Network meeting hosted by Mitsubishi Motors Paarden Eiland. ... 
The purpose of the BBN 5-3-1 Community Success Plan is to work towards unifying the 3 Essential Stakeholders (Business, General Public and Youth) in a way that a common vision and goal is achieved in which all are winners. It is definitely time that we begin taking ACTION as a community to ensure we do everything in our power to effect positive results. ... 
A businessman or woman who agrees that unemployment and poverty are two major contributions towards crime and need to be addressed by the community as a whole....
Ex Teachers, Trainers, Business Executives
Did you know... that if we were to measure entrepreneur development as an indication of South Africa's ability to create jobs, South Africa would rank very low in the world? Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) is a worldwide project that monitor4s levels of entrepreneurial activity in 35 countries. The latest data shows that the South Africa's entrepreneurship ranking has dropped from 20th position 2004 to 25th position (out of 35 countries) in 2005... 
How to make employment creation a community-wide concern and effort? 
5 Critical Bridges are necessary to grow a unified community where all work together (see page 9) to inspire and support many more of our youth to become successful entrepreneurs and future job creators while growing as people of value....
Building the bridges of goodwill, understanding and support between the business community, the general public and our youth is an effective way of implementing the BBN 5-3-1 Community Success Plan in which all feel they have ownership through effective business leadership that leads the way towards definite and worthwhile results....
Young people can learn much from seasoned and experienced business men and women. One of the lessons would be to choose the right mountain to begin climbing (right track to run on) as they make important decisions and begin their journey in life... 
BBN Yes I Can started by asking certain questions and then finding solutions. Creative thinking was applied to ensure that it was complete and packaged to have wide appeal and support when presented to the three essential stakeholders Business, the General Public and our Youth. Creating thinking forms an important part of the 5 Mountain Entrepreneur Development... 
The Six Pillars 
Recently the Elkanah House, High School, Table View Class of 2008 (Grade 10 learners) received their Mountain 1 (Bronze) Award at a special BBN Business Breakfast meeting. Here they are proudly holding their award. The businessmen and women present were impressed with their short acceptance speeches which spoke of confidence in their future with the input of the business community... 
Testing the general acceptance of the BBN Initiative. During this period 100 business became BBN Go ProActive Members and over 1,000 members of the public enlisted as Community Action Partners while at the same time we rolled out our first Yes I Can - 5 Mountain Initiative at Elkanah House, High School... 
Now is the time to stake stock and assess the areas that needs professional improvement. These certified short courses are designed to improve business and personal improvement to make your business and you perform at your best... 
