Suzith Tjitaura

KEETMANSHOOP – The Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, through its subsidiaries, the National Youth Service (NYS) and National Youth Council (NYC), availed N$1 million to set up greenhouses for horticultural production in all 14 regions. 
 This was revealed by NYS manager for employment creation Mirjam Iyambo in an interview with Nampa here on Friday. 
 Iyambo said NYS is responsible for setting up the greenhouse structure and uses their graduates, while NYC will be responsible for the green scheme and overseeing the agricultural production. 

 She said the approach by the ministry is to address unemployment among the youth, improve their livelihood, and keep them busy and away from the streets, as well as to improve food security. 
 “Such a project can address unemployment, which is high within our youth, as they will be able to provide for themselves – and in the future, they can employ others. On the issue of food security, you see at the open market here those people get their vegetables from Noordoewer, which is very far, so if the youth can source it from here through this project; it will be cheaper and easier for the vendors to get them,” said Iyambo. 

 She said NYS and NYC are expected to complete setting up the green scheme structures by end October this year in all regions – while, so far, this was done in the Khomas, Omaheke and Hardap regions. 
 NYC //Kharas regional coordinator, Raymond Kaffer said six young people from Keetmanshoop will be in charge of the garden under his supervision. 
 He added the vegetables will be sold on the local market – and hopefully, hostels.  - Nampa