03 Jun 2019

Strengthening Youth Development through Enterprise (STRYDE) graduates have been encouraged to develop sound financial management principles.

STRYDE is a programme supported by Debswana, De Beers and Anglo American.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the Tokafala STRYDE programme in Orapa recently, Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines general manager, Mr Bakani Motlhabani said at inception in 2018, the programme had an initial focus group of 100 youth in Letlhakane with 60 per cent being female participants.

He said the first group saw 64 youth graduating and 36 in the second.

Mr Motlhabani stated that the programme yielded great results and milestones for those that took part, noting that its impact was evident in areas including entrepreneurial skills, savings and financial literacy as well as confidence and team work.

The traits, he said were cultivated throughout the programme in various activities divided into core skills training and aftercare.

In core skills training, graduates go through a three-month classroom based programme developing foundation skills for participation in the workforce and improving livelihood.

This continues into a six month aftercare period where focus is on creating tangible outcomes, in starting, growing businesses and finding jobs.

The group that graduated, he said, was expected to go through interventions within the STRYDE programme that would sharpen their skills and replicate growth and excellence.

He said the graduates already had 12 group businesses with company profiles and business plans in water purification, graphic design, egg incubating, pine gel production and tyre recycling.

Mr Motlhabani indicated that the participants demonstrated that they were determined to succeed and trusted they would heed advice.

He stated that they should be able to know how to use their strengths and weaknesses to reach personal goals.

Mr Motlhabani implored graduates to be confident about acquiring a job or running a business, noting that professional development went a long way.

Tokafala programme director, Ms Masego Montle urged the graduates to go out and make a difference.

Ms Montle said as they were mobilising for cohort three.

One of the graduates, Ms Chant Nzala encouraged her peers to set themselves goals and know what they wanted. She encouraged them to take calculated risks and learn from their mistakes if they lost.

She is a new entrant in cleaning services business as an individual and is also part of  a water purification business group. ENDS