Africa-Press – Lesotho. According to the Commissioner of cooperatives at the Ministry of Small Business, Cooperatives and Marketing Mrs Maphamoli Lekoetje says youth in cooperatives from Botswana, Lesotho and eSwatini will once again meet in Lesotho from 10 – 14 December to exchange skills in business.
Speaking at the press conference that was held at the ministry on Wednesday, Lekoetje said the first three youth cooperatives were formed back in 2003 and they have since multiplied.
In 2012, which was an international year of cooperatives, they decided to call the first youth cooperatives alliance forum in Lesotho and invited youth cooperatives alliances from Botswana and the then Swaziland, to come and share skills in business while also playing some games.
After that conference she said Botswana pledged that it would organize and host the same forum in the following year and it has since switched among the three countries since. This time in Lesotho she said it will be for the 3rd time.
Currently, she said the youth in cooperatives from these countries are at the stage whereby they have formed a federation that was launched by international cooperatives alliance in 2016.
Speaking of the youth cooperatives she said this is a platform to get financial access and be in a better position to change their lives and of those around them.
She said in the past cooperatives were perceived to be for the old people, something which she said has changed in recent years as the unemployment rate is increased regardless of the field of qualification or education one has taken.
Therefore she said cooperatives have become one of the main solutions. Next week she said youth, government officials and teachers will arrive in Lesotho to get ready for the conference. She indicated that they also have teachers because some of the cooperatives are in schools while some are in the villages.
Meanwhile, Lesotho Youth Cooperatives Alliance Secretary Mr Thabo Mothibeli said this year’s theme is; using cooperatives as an economic stimulus in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.
Each year’s theme he said is based on their progress or status of their cooperatives and addresses the challenges they face. With this year’s theme he said they are going to share ideas and brainstorm around how best possible they could develop sustainable cooperatives and enhance financial access. He said each country will share the laws and other measures they have that help the youth to establish sustainable cooperatives.
