ONGWEDIVA – The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service is currently involved in the training of 484 youths from the 121 established youth owned enterprises across the country.
The weeklong training which commenced on Monday will provide training in business management.
The enterprises were set up as prescribed in the Harambee Prosperity Plan (HPP) that propagates for economic inclusion of all Namibians from the different spheres of life.
The training is offered in collaboration with the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) that invested N$1.2 million towards the course.
The ministry on its part provided transport as well as allowances to all the youth participating in this training.
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service Erastus Uutoni appealed to the youth to make use of the opportunity presented to them to advance their lives in order to kill the dependency syndrome.
He called on youth to desist from negative attitudes.
“The dependency syndrome is a disease, do away with it,” Uutoni said.
In the same vein, the minister also appealed to the youth to use the training to create employment for themselves and others and thereby grow the economy, especially now that the country faces economic hurdles.
Uutoni also used the opportunity to appeal to the private sector to come on board to capacitate the youth.
To the banks, Uutoni urged them to assist the youth when they knock at their doors to provide loans with low-interest loans.
It is the hope the youth will set up businesses in their respective constituencies, thus appealed to the regional and constituency heads to continue mentoring the youth.
The Executive Chairperson of the National Youth Council Mandela Kapere who was also in attendance urged the youth take the lead and steer the development agenda in the country.
“We cannot wait for someone from anywhere to come and develop the country, we do not have that option. It is up to us to develop the country,” said Kapere.
Taking cognisance of the economic challenges the country faces, Kapere said much still needs to be done for the youth to liberate themselves culturally, economically and politically.
He said the struggle for economic emancipation is more complex than the political struggle for independence, hence the youth should ready itself to wage that war, where the enemy is unknown.
“So, our attitudes and our minds must be right to take on the struggle that we must wage,” said Kapere.
According to Kapere, the youth should also bear in mind that the struggle and sacrifices they make today should not only be for themselves, but should also be for the future generation to reap.