13 Jan 2015

The Youth Centre Organisation (TYCO) is aimed at disseminating information which can benefit youth.

Briefing residents about the centre during a kgotla meeting in Palapye on Monday, January 12, the project coordinator Mr Thabo Dimeku said the centre has in place six pillars which are education, positive peer pressure, business and training, sports, performing arts and culture, youth in politics and community outreach.

Mr Dimeku said so far the centre has 260 young people on basic business management training, 30 on leadership and 20 on peer education.

Mr Dimeku said even though the project is gaining momentum, the most challenging issue is that many youths have not yet collected their school certificates because they owe school fees and lost books.

He informed them that the government took initiative to instruct schools to give students their certificates despite school fees arrears and instead follow up parents who defaulted from paying school fees. 

Furthermore Mr Dimeku said they have support from funding bodies such as Youth Development Fund, Kick-start by Kgalagadi Breweries, women empowerment programme by Gender Affairs, and National Development Bank.

He also said their intention is to have motivational talks with the youth working for Ipelegeng and those from the poverty eradication to see how they can help them further their studies or grow their businesses.

He said his organisation will ensure that they do not fail by providing mentoring.

Responding to questions Mr Kebuamotse Kebuamotse from the department of Bye Law said before they can issue a trading license to the youths they first inspect the place of business to ensure that the public is safe.

Boikokobetso Mpule one of those who attended the meeting pleaded with the Bye Law to award tenders for the Ipelegeng cooking programme to deserving people and not Village Development Committee members because they are already earning something.

For her part Ms Neo Kubuetsile, adult education officer from the education department said the out of school programme has an opportunity to reduce the unemployment rate in Palapye village as it is offering the youth a chance to recruit a minimum of eight and a maximum of 15 illiterate people whom they can teach and earn P60 per 2hours working 4 days a week.

Thabo Modimowaitse, the TYCO chairperson said the organisation will soon be opening branches in Maunatlala, Radisele, Mogome, Mokgware, Ratholo, Topisi and Mogapinyana to benefit the youth in those villages by empowering them with knowledge. ENDS