Many youths spend much time selling each other dreams about venturing into business, but don’t make any moves.
The Department of Youth, in the ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, is currently undertaking country-wide orientation sessions for youth development funding.
Speaking at the opening orientation session in Gaborone, the regional Youth Officer, Ms O. Kebuang, said that “beneficiaries of the youth development are any person who falls between the ages of 18-29 years”. “Recipients must be out of school, underemployed or completely unemployed. Even those who want to expand their current business may also benefit from the fund,” said Kebuang.
The fund will be given as financial assistance to the youth as a 50 percent grant and 50 percent interest free loan.
“The funding shall be from P500-P100 000 per project.”
She also added that any youth who has benefitted from other government economic empowerment schemes will not benefit from this one.
“Country wide orientation sessions will be carried out for the whole of September,” she said. “Submission and one on one consultations will be from October until November. Only those who successfully underwent orientation at regional youth offices will be considered for funding.”
For her part, Mrs Oisthuizen, from the Gaborone Regional Youth Office revealed that youth funds have bigger budgets this year.
“Some projects which have been successfully funded by the youth development fund include piggeries, poultries, horticultural and small stock farms,” she said, adding that they expect more projects to be funded since most of the money will come from the Alcohol levy.
Oisthuizen further encouraged the audience that more and more youth should apply in larger numbers, especially young enterprising women.
Tebogo Mabutho, a young horticultural entrepreneur in Gaborone North, is a typical successful beneficiary from the youth development fund. “Although you might think P100 000 is a lot of money, it’s still not enough, though it has taken me somewhere,” he said. “Going into agriculture is a capital intensive venture so I reinvest my net profit to grow my business.”
Regardless of the alcohol levy, which resulted in profit losses, KBL, the national brewers, are also giving budding entrepreneurs kick-start grants. Under the Kgalagadi Breweries’ corporate social investment scheme, Kick-start grants are also up to the ceiling limit of P100 000.
Reginald Phoi, the Technical Director of KBL, says Kickstart grants are available for any aspiring entrepreneur aged between 18 and 30.
He said that those interested are advised to collect application forms at KBL offices in Kanye, Palapye, Phikwe, Gaborone and Lobatse.
The closing date for applications is September 29 and one doesn’t need a registered business in order to apply.
Mompati Champane, proprietor of Diamond Breed, got funding from the KBL Kickstart grant. He says the grant helped him realise his dream dealing in pedigree dog breeding and obedience training.
“KBL funded me with P97 000 to run my own dog kennel, which is now permanently located in Gaborone North,” he said.
