02 Sep 2013

The World Universities of Canada (WUSC) country coordinator, Mr Nlisi Motshusi says their partnership with the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) is important in helping WUSC gain entrance into secondary schools.

Speaking at the inaugural YES conference in Gaborone on August 31, Mr Motshusi hailed the scheme for playing a role in mentoring school children from a young age. He also indicated that WUSC had contributed immensely in the education sector in their facilitating placement of students in Canada and bringing lecturers to Botswana.

Again, he indicated that with the introduction of the top achievers programme at senior schools, they managed to send students to Canada hence the need to raise awareness about the programme at secondary schools through YES. Mr Motshusi added that they continued to do a lot of work in the HIV/AIDS sector by partnering with Tertiary Education Council (TEC) to bring awareness programmes to tertiary schools.

He explained that the youth scheme could offer counseling to students studying abroad so that after completing their studies, they would come back to work in Botswana and contribute in its development. Furthermore, he indicated that employment opportunities remained a challenge in Botswana hence the scheme could help provide children with employment industry information.

YES president, Mr Kabelo Mosebi said they had, since 2007, engaged with schools and elders who were identified as mentors to motivate secondary school children. Mr Mosebi said empowering young people was critical because every child belonged in the society to which they would meaningfully contribute to in future.

In 2008, he said they engaged with Ledumang, Naledi and Gaborone Senior Secondary Schools in mentorship programmes through which they empowered students with life skills with the help of teachers. He added that that have had success testimonies from those who did well in their education and in turn became full members of the youth empowerment scheme. “We want to raise a responsible future generation and we do that for free by guiding the children career wise,” he added. ENDS