09 Sep 2013

The Tutume Sub-district’s youth council committee has developed a road map which focuses on entrepreneurship development.

Speaking during a Tutume sub-council session recently, chairperson of the council committee, Mr Shathani Mbaakanyi said the road map was born out of the fact that most of the youth in the district were idle, bored and lacked motivation. 

He informed councillors that while government had effortlessly developed the district, it had been observed that youth had not benefitted from these developments.

Mr Mbaakanyi added that the committee aimed to enlighten youth of implemented developments and planned developments to enable them to take advantages of these. He said the district youth council’s mandate was to deal with general issues related to youth.

Mr Mbaakanyi highlighted that its demographic jurisdiction stretched from Maitengwe, Nswazwi, Nata, Manxotai, Tutume, Nswazwi and Sebina respectively. He said the dream of the committee was to build a well-established business support structure run by the youth.

“The current project is branded Youth in Business,” he said. He noted that the project will conduct informative workshops that would be accessed by all youth in the district, adding that the informative workshops would have vital information on entrepreneurship in Botswana.  

Responding to the committee`s project proposal, Councillor of Tutume South Mr Imi Phili urged the youth committee to address youth issues that were very much critical and do more research, adding that the youth inventory should also be carried out.

Councillor Tabona Saulo of Senete welcomed the programme and said youth become active when they were in committees because they are after money. 

He urged youth to have one voice on their issues and unite all the times for their dreams come true. Councillor Moseki Mathodi of Tutume Central urged youth to be patient when it comes to their issues, adding that an active committee should educate the youth who were idle on businesses. 

He said employment opportunities for the youth were scarce and urged the committee to assist them in that regard. Councillor Ishmael Mokgethi of Tutume West urged government to allow the youth to enter into the supply and procurement business as a way of uplifting them.

He also urged them to plan meetings with councilors and target young people in their respective wards. Councillor Mogomotsi Lemogang of Sebina said the committee should advocate for youth friendly policies that would empower young people to venture into businesses. ENDS