The ‘Youth Employment towards Poverty Reduction’ joint project between the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation, UNDP and ILO has been running since late 2006.

As part of the project, young people all around the country are provided training in entrepreneurship for free. In 2010 the ILO certified trainers trained almost 1,000 young people, which is more than during any previous year.

During the year, they also helped in establishing over 220 enterprises, which provide employment to almost 540 people. These employment opportunities are much needed as unemployment especially among young people is very high, over 30% among 15-35 year olds. Becoming an entrepreneur is a good opportunity to become self-employed and also providing employment to others.

Over 70% of the trainees in the courses are women, which is a clear indication of the strong willingness of women to take lead in providing income for themselves. The businesses established operate on different sectors, for example, agriculture, services, retail and manufacturing.

In addition to the training, the trainers provide assistance in writing the business plans, establishing the businesses, providing refresher training, setting up savings groups to access small startup capital and following up on the established businesses.

If you are interested in the training, contact National Project Coordinator Karabo Sekantsi at the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation karabosekantsi@ymail.com or +266 58870500.

By: Tiina Turunen; tiina.turunen@undp.org