22 Aug 2019

Youth empowerment can be achieved if the youth adhere to the set standards that guide and regulate youth initiatives offered by the government.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Tsamaya on August 19, Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Mr Dikgang Makgalemele therefore encouraged the youth to work hard and commit to the projects funded by the government.

He said government had   many initiatives that aimed at empowering the youth among them YDF that the youth qualified for by virtue of being Batswana.

He stated that government had eased up the process of procuring from youth-owned companies, by setting aside 20 per cent of government procurement budget for youth, women and the disabled.

He said government had reserved 15 per cent of construction and maintenance jobs for youth and 30 per cent stake for youth companies to clean and clear roads.

Mr Makgalemele called on the VDC and village leaders to ensure that youth businesses were catered for in tenders for supplying food to schools in the village.

However, he explained that it did not mean that youth would only be considered in the 20 per cent stake, but should further benefit from the remaining 80 per cent if they qualified.

The assistant minister said he would follow up on the issue of the undeveloped plot in Tsamaya, which was meant to be a recreation facility for the youth.

He offered to contact sponsors to see how they could assist in building a hall that would house youth projects.

Responding to questions from Tsamaya residents, the ministry’s coordinator in the North East District, Mr Phinias Kgare said they had realised that some beneficiaries did not have a risk management plan while some did not even follow the business plan they initially submitted to secure funding.

He said the ministry was working hand in hand with LEA to assist in writing business plans for the youth, which he said was offered for free.

The council secretary in the North East District Council Mr Motshwariemang Matseka said they were in consultations to extend food supply to schools contract from one term to a year or two as they had realised that suppliers did not benefit much.

Mr Matseka indicated that it would be more beneficial to split a tender among two or more people within a school that had 600 or more learners, then carry out that tender beyond a year.

Tsamaya resident Mr Elijah Mudongo held the view that youth could be empowered only if they were passionate about the projects they undertook.

Nchidzi Nchidzi, a youth from Mabudzane advised the ministry to up-skill the youth by holding workshops in the Tsamaya cluster so that they were empowered before securing funding from the government. ENDS