Youth urged to fight poverty with businesses
YOUNG people should expose themselves to the world of business and to companies as this can advance them and help them grow their own businesses and create job opportunities.
Desmond Boshego
LIMPOPO – YOUNG people should expose themselves to the world of business and to companies as this can advance them and help them grow their own businesses and create job opportunities.
These were the words of Marumo Modiba, the SA Accounting Academy head of corporate education and legal compliance during a youth seminar at the University of Limpopo last Wednesday, which was organised by the department of trade and industry in partnership with Radio Turf.
Department spokesperson, Sidwell Modupe, said the seminar aimed to raise awareness among young people on how to access financial and non-financial assistance from the department and the other government agencies.
“We understand that if youth people are able to engage with department stakeholders and be taught on what is and is not needed in workplaces and businesses, they can be able to better their lives through information from the stakeholders,” said Modupe.
Percy Madziwo, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Polokwane branch manager, said the NYDA had a governmental national youth service which aimed to engage young people on community service activities. “This strengthens service delivery, promotes nation-building, fosters social cohesion and assists in acquiring occupational skills necessary to access sustainable livelihood opportunities,” said Madziwo.
He said NYDA had an economic participation programme called grant programme, which was designed to provide young entrepreneurs with the opportunity to access both financial and non-financial business development support in order to enable them to establish or grow their businesses. “The programme mainly focuses on youth entrepreneurs who are at promising and new stages of enterprise development,” he said.
Machoene Hlako is a NYDA beneficiary who currently runs an internet café. She said she believed that with the aid of the department and youth organisations, youth people could make a change in the world. “We as young people should stand up and fight the poverty around us by creating jobs ourselves. For me, it has been a long journey to succeed in this business, but I never gave up and now the business is successful,” said Hlako.
Radio Turf deputy station manager, Makwena Mamadu, said the radio station was happy to be part of the initiative and he hoped this would assist them to fulfill their mandate of disseminating information to young people in Mankweng and surrounding areas. “Radio Turf has always been a part of community development, informing and teaching listeners. It aims to change the lives of young people through information,” said Mamadu.
