20 Feb 2022

 It is time for young people to start shaping their future and acknowledge that they can no longer depend on government to provide all that they need.

Youth empowerment, sport and culture development minister, Mr Tumiso Rakgare said this addressing young people at a youth town hall meeting themed: Knowledgeable Youth. Resilient Leaders Towards an Informed and Resilient Youth’ on Friday.

Mr Rakgare said that was because government believed in their potential, thus they needed to claim and live the Reset Agenda as laid down by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi because priority areas were critical in changing the country’s economy landscape.

“Critical to young people, mindset change is the greatest item in the Reset Agenda. Youth need to be convinced that they are better and capable and can achieve more. They have always urged the old to change their ways, and view the world from a progressive perspective. Perhaps to have this as part of the Reset Agenda is the clearest concession by the leadership that the future belongs to the youth,” Mr Rakgare said. He also challenged the youth to take their space in the digitisation space, another Reset Agenda priority.

“Young people globally are linked by common love for technology and digital devices which attributes to living in the social media sphere. The possibilities from this sector therefore present the greatest opportunities for young people today as they are limitless,” he added.

Furthermore, Mr Rakgare said government had invested heavily in training youth in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and related fields with a view that the global village relied on digitisation which was essential to the delivery of various services to people.

Therefore, he urged young people to utilise the technology to improve ways of doing business as well as in their daily lives.

Giving them a word of encouragement,  Gaborone North MP, Mr Mpho Balopi reminded young people that the journey of success began with mindset change.

“Young people should break the mould and have a disruptive mindset to achieve their goals. They should have the guts and courage to get things through,” Mr Balopi said.

Botswana National Youth Council board chairperson, Ms Moitshepi Matsheng described young people as innovative and creative despite facing challenges of unemployment, underemployment, mental health and social economic issues. She said some young people had shown that they can achieve more still with challenges before them, and not relying on government to get things done.

She therefore implored young people to use their talents, be innovative and create employment for themselves. ends