Youth dialogue grinds on, no jobs insight

MOSA MAOENG

MAFETENG – The fourth Youth Dialogue session that seeks to address youth joblessness took place Mafeteng with the youth gathered Saturday last week. The dialogue seeks to equip the youth with insights on possible means of economic independence, a dire need to uplift jobless ridden youth in Lesotho today.

The dialogue was first officiated by the former Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro in April 20 where among others he sought to give the youth the platform to express their concerns as well as equip them on ways they could self employ and uplift themselves.

The dialogue is part of the ongoing campaign titled “Towards a Self-Sufficient Future,” During the session, a host of successful business minded people including the founder of Sentebale Gap Funeral Services and Prestige Furniture Aliciah Motšoane highlighted the importance of being independent financially.

Motšoane cautioned the youth against a common inclination of dependence on either parents or government grants/donations. She also advised the youth against worrying about their level of education adding it has no real impact on being successful however mentioning that financial literacy is critical to success.

Motšoane added that the youth should strive to save as little as one can urging them to empower themselves as well as attend workshops such as youth dialogues.

She said, “The choice you make as young people is also important and the friends you make. I encourage you to practice farming to generate income while waiting for your ideal businesses to grow. You do not have to dream about having a huge farm at the go, but you can use a small plot at home in the meantime,” she said.

Parliamentarian Moeketsi Motšoane speaking at the dialogue noted that Lesotho is still underdeveloped and the youth have to take greater part in creating opportunities to create.

According to him the biggest mistake that the youth often make is not to believe in their potential, which ends up with them, giving up on dreams. He warned the main challenge for youth in Lesotho is drug and alcohol abuse. He added that associating with good friends is key to accomplishing a better life.

Dialogue coordinator Tumelo Moteuli stressed that the purpose of the dialogue is to find strategies to fight against poverty and hunger in a broader way by including the youth from urban and rural areas. “We really want to create a platform for young people across the country, to be able to speak out and share ideas. We are planning that through the dialogue, all the 10 districts will be touched,” he said.

Moteuli added that they have been to Maseru, Mohale’s Hoek and Mafeteng districts and aim to be in Mapoteng, Berea come August.

He emphasised that they are on the process to implement a youth oriented document containing all the concerns of the young people to inform government of their specific needs.

Studies show that youth unemployment in Lesotho is a critical issue, with rates around 24 percent in 2024.

Recently, government declared youth joblessness a national crisis and is implementing measures to address it, including pledging a M400 million investment in youth-led businesses.