Africa-Press – Eswatini. The youth of Lugongolweni was on Saturday engaged in an entrepreneurship workshop aimed at helping them start relevant and successful businesses in their areas.
Facilitators from various government departments emphasised on assessing the environment and finding out the needs of the community before starting a business.
The workshop, hosted by Akwandze Kukhanya Multi-purpose, benefited approximately 50 youth aspiring entrepreneurs.
The Chairperson, Maxwell Simelane, said the main purpose of the workshop was to capacitate the youth with business skills.
“The workshop was meant to address issues of funding, marketing and other factors which usually contribute to some businesses failing,” he said.
Simelane said they invited officials from the Youth Enterprise Revolving Fund (YERF), Regional Development Fund (RDF) and other financial advisors to address the young people.
During the workshop, it transpired that many businesses failed mostly because they were either irrelevant to that particular area or there were too many entrepreneurs doing the same business.
“One thing we learnt during the workshop was that you do not have to start a business merely because you like it but you must start a business which is in demand in that particular area,” said Simelane.
He said this was evidence that aspiring entrepreneurs lacked basic knowledge in business enterprise, something which contributed to failing businesses.
Following the workshop, Simelane disclosed that they had since started collecting data for young entrepreneurs under the constituency. The purpose is to assist each other in marketing and accessing each other’s services.
Lugongolweni constructs schools
at Luhhwahhweni, Mhlumeni
Residents of Luhhwahhweni and Mhlumeni can now heave a sigh of relief following the construction of schools at the rural communities.
Luhhwahhweni is situated near Lonhlupheko, along Hlane Royal National Park.
Lugongolweni Indvuna yenkhundla Phindile Shongwe said the inkhundla had managed to establish schools for these communities despite government’s financial challenges, which saw many development projects being stalled.
Shongwe disclosed that for the past years, primary school children from Luhhwahhweni walked long distances to school and were exposed to danger. The nearest primary school is at Lonhlupheko, which is situated over eight kilometres away.
With the establishment of the school, children will now walk less than five kilometres to school. Shongwe said they started with the first two grades as an emergency intervention to the problem which has existed for many years.
Similarly, high school pupils from Mhlumeni have been commuting to either Sitsatsaweni or Siteki schools. Shongwe said the new school opened doors to Form I learners for the first time this year. “We are celebrating this as a huge success when considering the challenges which we have faced as a country over the past two years,” she said.
Moreover, Shongwe disclosed that through the assistance of a non-governmental organisation known as THIRST, the inkhundla installed two boreholes at Makhewu and Mphumalanga communities. The organisation is said to have further assisted in rehabilitating a number of other boreholes in other communities, which include Sitsatsaweni and ka-Langa.
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