Stephan Brun

YEEP tech and business Week, March/ April 2026

Tech and Business Week, April 2025 in Hawassa, Ethiopia with focus on prototyping and business development

The next visit to Ethiopia is in the pipeline: From 28 March to 7 April 2026 we will organize the next YEEP week in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Application for participants from Switzerland is now open.

On what will we work?

During the YEEP week, we will work with a group of around 25 Ethiopian students, want to become an entrepreneur and start their own company. They have already participated in the YEEP Entrepreneurship Week in December 2025 and they have a first, concrete business idea. During the tech and business week we will do technical prototyping and develop a concrete business model. You will work in small teams on different ideas. Furthermore you will be involved in giving input and training sessions about different topics that are necessary for Ethiopian students who want to start their own business.

Apply now!

Are you a student at one of our partner schools (first priority) or from another institution? Would you like to work during one week with Ethiopian students from Hawassa to create and test ideas for possible business projects? And would you like to learn and practice design thinking?

Then apply now before Wednesday 11 February 2025 (deadline) to join our team and to travel to Ethiopia with us.

To register, click on the link above or scan the QR code below:

https://bit.ly/44rh5tY

 

Why should you participate? Because YEEP will give you:

 

  • A unique opportunity to practice interdisciplinary collaboration in an international context.
  • An insight in a fascinating country and its culture.
  • The possibility to apply your know how practically for a meaningful cause.
  • Support in preparation and during the trip by an experienced team.
  • A possibility to apply for a scholarship to cover parts of your travel costs.

If you are interested, we strongly recommend you to participate in one of our online information events, in order to better understand, what the project is all about and what are the exact requirements to participate.

  • Monday 22 December 2025, 20h
  • Tue 30 December 2025, 20h
  • Wednesday 7 January 2026, 20h
  • Thursday 15 January 2026, 20h
  • Friday 23 January 2026, 20h
  • Tuesday 27 January 2026, 20h
  • Friday 6 February 20206, 20h
  • Tuesday 10 February 2026, 20h

To join the meeting click on this link above or scan the QR code below:

https://bit.ly/3XU46NJ

If you need individual help or if you cant make it to our meetings, contact stephan.brun@yeeproject.org

 

Details

Partner schools: hftm, HFW/ WKS Bern, BFH Biel/ Bern, StudentImpact HSG, FFHS, Supsi, FHNW, HEIA-FR, ETHZ.

Dates: Departure from Switzerland on Saturday 28 March 2026 in the evening. Return to Switzerland on Tuesday 7 April 2026 in the morning.

Who is behind it: YEEP is a project of DEVENTURE, an association based in Bern, Switzerland. DEVENTURE is a non-profit organization who offers different projects that promote entrepreneurial thinking and exchange between Switzerland and Ethiopia.

 

What our former participants say:

"The hackathon week was a massive experience. In consideration to the intercultural exchange and furthermore for the work with people from other countries." (Pascal)

"A unique experience with a deep insight into what happens on the ground. I will never forget how open and interested the Ethiopian students were." (Damian)

"The most impressive moment in Ethiopia was to get invited to a family home. It was very interesting to see how they live and they were very hospitable. Even thougt the parents couldnt speak english" (Andreas)