25 Feb 2013

Young people should identify sustainable projects when applying for funding from government, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture has advised.

Addressing kgotla meetings in Lehututu and Kang, Ms Ruth Maphorisa said government was committed to coming up with youth empowerment programme aimed at promoting active youyh participation in the socio-economic development of the country.

She said youth oriented programmes aimed at encouraging the out-of-school, marginalised and unemployed youth to venture into sustainable and viable income generating projects that would sustain their livelihood hence the onus was upon them to identify profitable projects.

Ms Maphorisa emphasised the need for young people to fully utilise youth empowering scheme highlighting that such schemes were meant to uplift them from the hardships of life.

“Unemployment is rife among youth between the ages of 15 and 25 therefore the utilisations of youth scheme can play a pivotal role in creating employment for them and other members of the community,” she said.

She also urged parents to assist the youth officials on the monitoring and mentoring of youth projects to guarantee their sustainability.

She further said the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) programme was another way to equip young people with the necessary skills and experience needed in the corporate world, dismissing allegations that the programme promoted military mentality on the youth.

Some critics, she said, were of the view that the YES and internship programmes were exploiting the youth hence she advised those who were against those programmes to consider the immense amount of experience that the youth acquired.       ENDS