26 May 2022

Botswana Red Cross Society youth volunteers who recently attended the  entrepreneurship development training have been implored to put into practice what they have been taught and to consider forming partnerships to use their talents as a collective.

Speaking at the awards ceremony in Gaborone on Wednesday, Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, Mr Tumiso Rakgare encouraged the 38 youth volunteers to start up businesses.

“The skills taught in the past three days have empowered you with skills set to respond to challenges and current developments in business and society. I, therefore, urge you not to apply what you have learnt in silos but rather group yourselves and use your talents as a collective,” he stated. 

The three-day entrepreneurship development training workshop is aimed at giving Botswana Red Cross Society youth volunteers an opportunity to enhance their skills and talent as well as connecting them to established entrepreneurship and business development service providers. 

Mr Rakgare said such training was imperative to the development of young people as it addressed the dire needs of employment in the country. 

He said youth participation and interaction with the global world, self-sustainability of the youth as well as employment creation were in line with the mandate and objectives of his ministry. 

He said care and diligence should be applied when requesting funding, noting that the ministry was open to assisting and supporting endeavours which had robust business proposals. 

“Future businessmen and women, make an impact, run successful businesses and make a difference in your different communities,” he said. 

For his part, Botswana Red Cross Society Secretary-General, Mr Kutlwano Mokokomane said it was within their mandate to equip their youth volunteers with entrepreneurial skills. 

“Last week we hosted a partnership meeting of Southern African Red cross-national societies and 18 entities from different countries were present,” Mr Mokokomane said. 

He said the partnership meeting highlighted the importance of youth participation and development in respective countries. 

Mr Mokokomane added that the skills acquired were pivotal to the youth as they established income-generating activities to uplift their communities. ends