Thamaga/Mogoditshane Sub District Councillors have been informed that the currently operational Youth Development Fund (YDF) projects have created 160 jobs in three constituencies in Kweneng District.
The Sub Council Chairman, Major Driver Motlokwa, said this in his opening speech during the sub council’s first ordinary full council meeting. This, he said, covers the 63 projects in the Thamaga/Mogoditshane Sub District-16 in Kweneng South East, 11 in Mogoditshane and 45 in Kweneng South.
He further explained that the fourth cycle has finally been completed with a total of 27 approvals; 18 for Kweneng south, five for Mogoditshane and four for Kweneng South East. Only nine of the approvals have started while the rest are still at procurement stage.
The fifth cycle also commenced on the 3rd January 2013 and the Chairman gladly said; “I am pleased to inform you that the fifth cycle commenced with a questionnaire that has to be filled by young people aged between 18 and 35 and be submitted on or before the 21st January 2013. This questionnaire will be used to determine the selection of candidates who will be going for entrepreneurship training.”
Some challenges faced during implementation of projects comprise: failure to pay loans by beneficiaries, high rentals from landlords, difficulty in penetrating the already saturated market.
He said the Youth Empowerment Scheme programme is progressing well. It has managed to produce 79 graduates of which some have been attached to different government departments. Registration for the programme is still ongoing and therefore Councillors were requested to mobilise youth in their constituencies to come forward and collect application letters.
Meanwhile there are 25 projects under farm management division; segregated as 22 horticultural, two piggeries and one for broiler. The projects are ongoing even though they encounter several challenges such as lack of market for products, expensive inputs especially feeds and poor record keeping. This hinders growth in production and farm returns. Motlokwa, therefore, advised the relevant office to conduct more training for farmers to enhance their knowledge. He also urged Councillors to encourage farmers to form associations which will among others help address market constraints.
