06 Jun 2023

Tokafala youth programme manager Ms Bingani Setume says they have adopted a pilot project as a strategy to address the low uptake of the programme and high dropout rate.

Speaking during a stakeholder meeting in Maun recently, Ms Seume said they had started discussions with Community Based Organizations in the Ngamiland District to forge partnerships where community organisations would mobilise youth from their villages to benefit from the programme.

She revealed that the pilot project would target mostly remote area dwellers and would offer necessary support such as assistance with transportation, meals and incidentals, training facilities and business start-up capital.

She said those enrolled in the programme often left due to social competing priorities especially women who have to look after children while some focused much on their businesses for survival.

“The programme is also faced with limited employment and funding opportunities,” she said adding that such challenges hindered its full implementation.

Tokafala programme aims at supporting economic diversification and employment creation through development of sustainable citizen owned enterprise and strengthening skills of youth.

The programme also helps existing and aspiring entrepreneurs to develop the business, financial management and marketing skills they needed to build successful and sustainable businesses.

She said the pilot project which fostered partnerships had already attracted the private sector citing Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT) and Habu trust as some of the participating trusts.

Ms Setume further noted that the intention was to enroll 500 applicants with focus on those with limited economic activities.

She said they were recruiting for cohort three as both one and two had successfully completed training and were now on mentoring stage. Youth, she said were trained based on their interests as the aim was to enroll them to make them employment ready.

“Successful applicants will be drilled on communication skills, career readiness by introducing them to different industries to get the feel and understanding of work environment,” she added.

OKMCT manager, Mr Seikaneng Moepedi appreciated the programme for expanding its services to hard to reach areas.At OKMCT, he said they had an initiative dubbed Youth Development Fund which assisted young people with funds to venture into income generating projects. As such, Mr Moepedi said the pilot project would complement their initiative.

Another stakeholder, Mr Thatayaone Mmapatsi from Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) emphasised the need to revise the programme and make it suit a specific area citing that in Ngamiland, majority of people were more into livestock farming and tourism activities.

By so doing, he said it would address issues of dropouts. ENDS