05 Jul 2017

People with a positive attitude can easily overcome challenges.

When such people look at the negative side of life, all they think of is the light at the end of the tunnel.

One such person is the founder and chairperson of Young Aspiring Millionaires Botswana (YAMB), Mr Bonang Morapedi, 31, of Selebi Phikwe.

One can say his charisma drives from his reaction to challenges and how he recites every experience as a stepping stone for him as well as other young Batswana to reach the top, not withstanding the trials and tribulations.

Enthusiastic about the future, the youthful Mr Morapedi said after completing his degree in software engineering from Botho College the idea of venturing into business, which he always had from his childhood, rushed through his mind.

He said he did not only think of success for himself alone hence the establishment of YAMB, a non profit registered trust based in Gaborone, which was founded in 2015.

It has over 20 000 Facebook group members and over 100 registered and paid members.

Mr Morapedi said the trust’s motive was to make young people realise their capability of driving the economy of the country through entrepreneurship development.

He said his organisation’s vision in group formulation was to have an economically independent young Motswana who could contribute to the expansion of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, foreign direct investment as well as returns on investments from the human resources capital of the country.

“Since I am passionate about helping other people to achieve their goals, I realised that young people need a common understanding along with a platform where we can be able to share ideas and solutions. I therefore found YAMB as a bedrock of hope and achieved dreams,” he said.

Mr Morapedi said as a young Motswana he was expecting millionaires and economically independent young Batswana by 2025, hence his undertaking to create millionaires by spearheading youth economic development through the cultivation of the spirit of entrepreneurship.

 “It is within the organisation’s mandate to encourage youth to increase the uptake of economically empowering initiatives provided by the government and other stakeholders in order to eradicate both unemployment and vulnerable groups in our nation,” Mr Morapedi said.

He urged young people to avoid politicising issues and to focus on bringing forth viable solutions as a way forward, adding that they need to be proactive and optimistic so that they could fight unemployment as well as poverty.

He said for YAMB to accomplish its objectives, he and his co-workers should work with relevant stakeholders such as the Local Entrepreneurial Authority (LEA), Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development and other funding entities which empower and educate young people.

Mr Morapedi emphasised the need to form clusters and cooperatives which were capable of creating jobs for young people.

“We are in the quest to bring the best innovative cooperatives countrywide, we therefore encourage the youth to form cooperatives because they are the future. A lot can be achieved through teamwork and hard work,” he said.

He said through YAMB, there has been an establishment of different cooperatives such as Masterminds, an agricultural cooperative society based in Molepolole which recently embarked on hydroponics horticulture in a bid to help food security by initiating and implementing the practical skills and acquired knowledge.

Mr Morapedi has no doubt that if young people put their ideas into practice, set goals and focus on them they could prosper in business.

He advised the youth to build a good country which everyone hopes the upcoming generations would live in. He added that with their natural talents and skills, the youth were the solution to Botswana’s economy.

He also urged the cooperate community to assist YAMB in order for them to soar to greater heights. ENDS