28 Aug 2022

Young people in Boteti West have been urged to own their business proposals when applying for youth fund.

Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture senior programmes officer, Mr Kagiso Makoba said this during a youth training workshop in Rakops recently.

He raised concern that the youth on numerous occasions, demonstrated lack of knowledge on the projects they proposed because they engaged consultants to draw proposals for their projects and failed to account for the information provided.

Mr Makoba further stated that youth development funds for the financial year 2022/23 were reduced from P2 million to P1.5 million per constituency.

He said the number of applicants that would be funded per constituency would also be reduced from 20 to 15 or 14 per constituency.

Programmes officer in Rakops, Mr Albert Kanani advised the youth to visit departments to inquire about business projects they were interested in.

He said a business proposal should be submitted at an area where the business would be operating from.

Boteti West constituency office administration officer, Mr Gabantshwanele Kelatlhegile said the aim of the workshop was to capacitate the youth with business skills and knowledge.

Mr Kelatlhegile said it was not possible for everyone to be employed, hence the need to capacitate the youth with business skills. He said they realised that most of the youth had challenges filling up Youth Development Fund forms and also that most did not attend kgotla meetings a challenge that government was trying to address through Botswana Speaks programme. ends