10 Apr 2013

He cannot wait to finish his one year attachment at the Department of Animal Health and Production under the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) in Palapye, to pursue his dream of becoming a successful businessman.

It was only two years ago, when Mr Moneimang Boitumelo, 20, was engaged in Ipelegeng programme, working amongst the elderly people to earn a living.

He did not look back, when the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture (MYSC) introduced the YES programme. He grabbed the opportunity availed to the unemployed youth and enrolled for the programme.

Despite that working for Ipelegeng helped put bread on the table, it was not enough for the young man whose ambition was to become a successful entrepreneur. The ambitious young man who cannot wait for the moment to bid farewell to his colleagues, is so eager to start his small stock enterprise.

"The training I received at the boot camp as well as my attachment to animal health production department really opened my eyes, I now see the world differently,” he said.

Reminiscing about his life prior to training, he says, “Life was unbearable as I was compelled to fend for myself at a tender age. Despite the hardships I never gave up on my dream of becoming a businessperson.”

Having not done well in his Junior Certificate Examinations four years ago, Mr Boitumelo was forced to look for employment whilst his peers proceeded with their secondary education.

"Being one of the first people to register for YES, I also got the privilege to be amongst the first batch of youth who went for training at the boot camp. Training covered amongst others basic life skills, ways to overcome the challenges that life may throw at an individual, as well as business skills that would enable us to start our own business projects,” says Mr Boitumelo.

He is expected to graduate from the YES programme in August this year. He says the only thing left is how to go about with this dream adding that he is grateful that he is now an armed soldier ready to go into the battlefield. After completing his attachment in August, Moneimang says his next step will be to apply for a Youth Development Fund (YDF) to enable him to start his own small stock production.

He says, “working under animal production, has availed a most welcome opportunity to work closely with farmers and LIMID officers, hence making it easier for me to learn more about diseases affecting small stock and vaccines used.

The attachment has also allowed him to share ideas as well as building rapport with some farmers in the area. Aimed with a powerful tool of information, Mr Boitumelo says it will help him climb up the ladder of success. ENDS