By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Flamboyant businessman Knowledge Katti – through The Knowledge Foundation – is embarking on an innovative youth empowerment programme that aims to increase the employability, and improve the success of entrepreneurship ventures, of Namibian youth.
His programme will run for an initial period of five years from 2015 to 2019, Katti told New Era.
“It is initiated with an initial pledge of N$2 million from The Knowledge Foundation. Through this programme, The Knowledge Foundation will partner with local, national and global stakeholders including multinational corporations, foundations, DFIs, impact investors and philanthropists, who are interested in investing in the empowerment of youth to achieve sustainable economic development,” Katti said.
This is the latest assistance from Katti, who, apart from annual bursary awards to university students, also just recently donated N$100 000 to children being treated for cancer and clubfoot at the Windhoek Central Hospital.
Katti says his latest gesture aims to empower, develop and enable young people to gain work experience and learn new skills and competencies, through attachment programmes with established corporate entities, non-governmental organisations, state-owned enterprises and local authorities in Namibia and abroad.
The ultimate goal is to prepare them for a successful career as entrepreneurs or employed professionals in Namibia or elsewhere.
Designed to operate as an effective, durable and sustainable corporate social responsibility intervention, the programme will seek to incentivise employers to give opportunities to young people so that they can sharpen their skills, gain new knowledge and build their résumés to make them more attractive to potential employees.
“In addition, the interactions between mentors and mentees, apprentices and veterans or their trainers will prepare the young people with practical true life experiences as to how to interact, negotiate, express themselves, gain confidence and strategize in real life business settings and environments,” Katti said.
This year alone, Katti has through his foundation donated N$1.9 million to various projects throughout the country.
This includes the N$1 million he donated to the Uis community, N$500 000 to the Hifikepunye Pohamba Foundation and N$240 000 to the ELCRN Exodus Parish in Tsumeb.
“In order to keep track of progress and facilitate effective learning, all participants will be required to keep journals of their activities and interactions within the programme,” Katti said, in reference to his latest empowerment initiative.
“Such journal will be reviewed from time to time as means of ensuring the effective implementation of the programme.”