Africa-Press – Botswana. A total of 174 young people have benefited from the Youth Development Fund (YDF) in Molepolole area since October 2019 to date.
Responding to a question from Molepolole North Member of Parliament Mr Oabile Regoeng the Minister of Entrepreneurship Mr Karabo Gare said the 174 projects were dominated by those in the agriculture sub-sector with 146 projects.
Mr Gare said the approval rate of YDF project proposals in the area stands at 38 per cent. He said the 174 approved projects were from the 458 applications submitted since 2019.
Minister Gare said the survival rate of YDF funded projects is 83 per cent, representing 145 of the 174 funded projects.
He said a total of 348 jobs have been created through YDF funded projects since 2019 to date.
He said District Programme Officers who were tasked to process YDF applications were also responsible for executing other ministry activities such as sport, arts, culture and voluntary programmes as well as monitoring previously funded programmes.
Mr Gare said other district extension officers from departments such as Veterinary Services, Forestry and Agri-business assisted in YDF application on referral and on voluntary basis.
“Our MYSC officers rely on the will and availability of extension officers to offer technical assistance during YDF processing life cycle,” he said.
Minister Gare said there was non-adherence and non-compliance to beneficiaries to YDF Memorandum of Agreement. “The beneficiaries do not apply themselves optimally and do not pay back on time or at all,” said Minister Gare.
He said there was also lack of technical skills by prospective YDF applicants to venture into viable businesses as well as inadequate suitable operational space for youth owned youth businesses and high rentals.
Mr Gare added that there was lack of commitment by most beneficiaries leading to the collapse of projects.
He said the ministry’s medium to long-term strategy to address challenges was to among other rope in experts from various disciplines to facilitate YDF process countrywide as well as offer pre-funding and post funding business training skills, consultation and mentoring to young people.
Mr Gare was to give an account of the number of youth who have benefited from YDF in Molepolole since October 2019 to date, the sub-sector that has dominated the funded projects, approval rate of applications, job opportunities, and long-term strategies to address challenges.
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