07 Jul 2019

The Youth Development Fund has supported a total of 407 projects in Francistown since its inception in 2009 to financial year 2018/19, Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele has told Parliament.

 Mr Makgalemele said 228 projects were funded in Francistown West while 80 were funded in the Francistown South constituency. Out of  the 228 projects funded, a total of 380 job opportunities comprising  of 199 males and 181 females were created. Furthermore, Mr Makgalemele said out of the 228 youth funded projects in Francistown East, 203 were operational, 34 had collapsed and two have not yet started operating due to the promoters ill health and delay in supplying machineries by suppliers. The funded projects, he said had achieved 89 per cent sustainability rate therefore the varied type of services offered by the projects provided for a diversified economic well-being to the City of Francistown.

He noted that some of the services offered by the youth business range from Information and Communication Technology (ICT), marketing, consultancy service.

Mr Makgalemele was responding to a question by Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy who had requested for an update on the performance of youth development fund in Francistown East. ENDS