25 Jul 2013

Letlhakeng Sub-district will, on July 29, host the first ever Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) boot camp in the region targeting people living with disabilities.

The boot camp, dubbed: YES Ability Camp, would be held in Mantshwabisi and was organised by the coordinating office for people living with disabilities in partnership with department of youth.

This would be an effort by the two offices to promote affirmative action and mainstream disability issues into all sectors. This followed the pioneer camp held in Mahalapye in the last week of May.

In an interview, Letlhakeng East district youth officer, Ms Oakantse Kebuamotse said the boot camp targeted the youth with disabilities after realising that they were not able to attend the generic YES boot camps. “We noted that people with disabilities have been left out in the general boot camps, which denied them the benefits enjoyed by their peers,” she said.

She said for the Mantshwabisi camp, they were targeting a total of around 200 youths which included their family members, but clarified that family members would only be needed to provide welfare and emotional needs during the duration of the camp and would therefore not be placed on attachment.

Participants would be pooled from both Letlhakeng East and Letlhakeng West constituencies, but because of requirement such as the fact that the attendants should not be too handicapped to later work after training, Ms Kebuamotse said the turnout was likely to be less than expected. “The programme will target youth with disabilities that do not handicap them from employment in the office set-up,” she said.

She said the training and final placement would together serve as a platform for social inclusion and integration into the economic mainstream, and that they had invited organisations such as CEDA and LEA to drill the youth on aspects such as life-skills, health and wellness, alternative packages, disability programmes and many others.

For his part, Kgosi Dikaelo Tsiang of Mantshwabisi appreciated the authorities’ decision to hold the event in his village, saying they are ready to welcome the magnitudes that are expected to throng his small village. Kgosi Tsiang also appreciated the efforts by residents in assisting to prepare for the event ENDS.