Africa-Press – Lesotho. The 2023 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) conference for youth was officiated in Maseru on Thursday. The Director of ICT in the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation (MICSTI), Mr.
Khiba Masiu officiated the event on behalf of the Principal Secretary, Mr. Kanono Ramashamole while Mrs. ‘Mabulara Tsuena, Programme Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) represented the Resident Representative, Dr Jacqueline Olweya.
In his speech, Mr. Khiba Masiu congratulated the youth who submitted their prototypes to UNDP, saying the need to think innovatively and creatively is key if the country is to grow economically and reduce unemployment among youth.
He noted that the MICSTI aims to ensure an enabling environment hence an innovation policy has already been established in this regard. “We will work together with relevant stakeholders so that as youth bring ideas, they are better used for job creation,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs. Tsuene reiterated that this is not just an initiative but a competition seeking to motivate youth that entrepreneurship is the way to create employment.
She said the UNDP received 500 applicants of shared ideas from youth, saying the top 100 was picked, then out of the top 100, the top 50 will later be announced, and that the top 15 and top five winners will respectively be awarded prizes.
Zwilithini Matsoso, a young person from Butha-Buthe stressed the importance of initiatives like this one, saying they will go a long way as they include youth in decision making to transform the economy of Lesotho.
Organised by UNDP in partnership with the two Ministries of Information Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation and of Gender, Youth, Sports, Arts, Culture and Social Development, the conference aims to attract ideas from young people with a specific focus on STEAM that would address and help the country achieve National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP ll) priority sectors being agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, mining and ICT.
Present at this event also included Entrepreneurship Network Executive Director, Mr. Thabo Stephen Monyamane who motivated youth on the development of business ideas, incubation stage and acceleration stage. The STEAM conference started last Saturday.
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