Department of Youth Hosts 1st Annual Youth Entrepreneurs Awards

By Nvulane Nhlapo

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Equity Investments Director, Mr. Zwelithini Matsoso posing with some of the 29 awarded volunteers
Equity Investments Director, Mr. Zwelithini Matsoso posing with some of the 29 awarded volunteers

The Department of Youth in the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation (MGYSR) handed accolades to youth in volunteering and business on Friday at an awards ceremony hosted at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Center.

Lesotho has a youth population estimated at 700,000 that makes 40% of the country’s population. At least 34.4% percent of this population is unemployed according to awards Co-Organizer, entrepreneur and certified youth development practitioner Zwelithini Matsoso YIC of the awards co-sponsoring Equity Investments.

Matsoso reiterates that youth are responsible actors to steering their own development and that of the communities they live in. “Our numbers can translate into massive dividends for our country and ourselves if we start accumulating our activities together and refrain from treating each other as “them and me.” Matsoso asserted.

He said whilst entrepreneurs have to protect themselves against competition, they should realize that some competition is healthy for them and can assist in the acceleration of their development. He makes an example of how youth entrepreneurs producing similar goods can collaborate their efforts to sharing things like warehousing rent and transport costs to collect their inventory from suppliers.

Mr. Paul Carlex Takatso, one of the Social Compact Winners under the entertainment category
Mr. Paul Carlex Takatso, one of the Social Compact Winners under the entertainment category

Matsoso’s companies, being youth-led companies, have demonstrated a living testimony to youth leading our development. Matsoso & Midenrie Consortium, Priority Retail Solutions, Iceberg Bottled Premium Health Water, Equity Property Management operating under the auspices of Equity Investments co-sponsored the International Youth Month Celebrations and awards ceremony.

Equity Investments sponsored the awards of volunteers that supported the International Youth Month Celebration Activities and the 1st Annual Entrepreneurship Awards Hosted by the Department of Youth to award the Youth that participated in the Exhibition, the International Youth Month Organizing Committee and Youth who achieved growth following assistance under Social Compact Funding.

“It’s key that as youth we contribute to our development as opposed to the past culture of us being just advisors and consumers of Youth Development services.” Matsoso said. He added that the youth should charter their development and contribute holistically to it.

In response to why the company chose to sponsor 29 volunteers in particular, Matsoso who is a long term serving volunteer says the development of the country lies in Basotho going the extra mile without expecting to be paid back to build the country.

The country is not the government. It is the people living in it therefore the youth have to invest in themselves first.” He stated. “Volunteers were key to building the country and pledging their resources, time and money to steer the development of the country and thus reducing the burden on scarce resources.”

The four tiered awards were handed to the 29 volunteers that have been assisting in the activities of the 2017 International Youth Month activities that included the Youth Exhibition.

The second tier of the awards were handed to the 18 Organizing Committee members representing 18 Youth Civil Society Organizations that worked hand in hand with the Department of Youth to organize the International Youth Month Activities.

The third tier of the awards were presented to 71 Exhibitors who participated in the Youth Exhibition as exhibitors with the last segment of the 14  awards presented to youth that were assisted under the Social Compact programme.

The Social Compact award winners were adjudicated on their performance to expand their businesses and survival of such entrepreneurs in business. Businesses awarded in this category include textile manufacturing, entertainment, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.

The candidates selected under the Social Compact category were also representative of the Districts of Lesotho. Amongst those noted includes Qacha’s Nek, Mokhotlong, Quthing, Mohale’s Hoek, Butha Buthe and Maseru.

The Social Compact is a Youth entrepreneurship funding mechanism that exists in the Department to help youth start and grow their businesses by financing their equipment purchase up to a value of M40, 000.00 to start or grow businesses.

The series of International Youth Month activities leading to this Red carpet closing awards ceremony was sponsored by Metropolitan Insurance, First National Bank, BAM Group Foundation, KMP Dollar and Associates, Black Hair, Heavy Dollar Production, Je ne Se Quios, Snitch 365, Hitched Stitched, 360 Communications, Top Stitch, BICTG, Matsoso & Midenrie Consortium, Priority Retail Solutions, Iceberg Bottled Premium Health Water and Equity Property Management.

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation, Honorable Rethabile Marumo-Mokaeane; Minister of Small Business and Cooperatives, Honourable Chalane Phori; the Director in the Department of Youth; World Bank Representative; MGYSR staff and Youth in business

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