Over the past few months, the Swaziland National Youth Council embarked on several activities along the lines of empowering the Youth of the Kingdom of Eswatini. The Youth is the cornerstone of development and economic growth globally, as a result, the Country comprising of its different investment segments ranging from Government, Private Sector, NGO’s must come together in realizing that the only way the Kingdom of Eswatini can convert into a first world country is through investing in the Youth.
The Youth remains an untapped reservoir of innovation if not afforded the opportunities. This month we share with you the different projects that the Council has supported, programs implemented through our partners and what the Youth had to say about these activities.
Mbangisweni Youth Community on the Life Skills Education Manual – Shiselweni II Inkhundla
We spoke to Thokalele Hadebe who is 31 years old speaking on behalf of the Youth within the constituency.
What is the Life Skills Education Manual and is it relevant to the Youth of Mbangweni community?
“The LSE is a program that has come to us in this community equipping us on how to make sound and informed decisions that will positively impact our lives. The program covers a number of aspects that speak to values, rights, responsibilities, sexuality, leadership, STI’s & HIV, risk & reduction, planning for the future etc. and all these areas are relevant to every young person today”.
As a beneficiary of this program, how is it going to impact in your life and those around you?
“The program has enlightened me in areas that I thought I was educated on. These areas include relationships, rights, and responsibilities. At times you find that as a young person I underestimate the powers that I have in terms of drawing boundaries in the area of decision making. These areas include domestic, in the workplace, sexually, in my relationship just to mention a few. Now I understand better my sexuality as an individual, how to handle the relationships that I have and the responsibilities I have with the people around me”.
Mr. Eswatini Pageant 2018
Mr. Eswatini Pageant Director – Mr. Linda Chester
We took a keen interest on engaging Mr. Chester who is a young and upcoming entrepreneur. Linda is modelling to the Youth of Eswatini that it is not always about how much you have to conceptualize and successfully execute a project but it’s about determination and perseverance. Mr. Chester took us through his most recent project and his experience with the Council.
Of all organizations why did you choose to partner with Swaziland National Youth Council?
“The main reason why I chose SNYC is mainly because I regard the Council as a union for the Youth. So partnering with such an organization which understands how we do things makes work easy. Also, the way the SNYC staff is so friendly and professional made it easier for us to partner with them”.
Were the reasons that made you partner with SNYC achieved? Give reasons for your answer.
Honestly, all the reasons that made us partner with SNYC were all achieved. The Council acted as a mentor to us, as they actually took the entire top twelve finalists as their own children, they supported them all the way through to the crowning day. For that reasons I can diffidently say SNYC gave us all the support we needed”.
What role has SNYC played towards the success of your pageant?
“SNYC played a huge role in the success Mr. Swaziland 2018/2019. They took us from the streets and gave us free access to their resources such as working space and WIFI to mention a few. The organization also connected us to the right sponsors and made sure that we got most of the basic things we needed. The SNYC CEO would often motivate the team even on the hardest days where we were thinking of giving up”.
As a Youth yourself, how can you say you have benefited from SNYC?
“I personally benefited a lot from SNYC as I got to learn more about the corporate world and also got the chance to meet with most CEOs during sponsorship meetings”.
Would you consider partnering with SNYC in the near future? “The professionalism and excitement I get when working with the organization is the reason why I would diffidently partner with them in the future”.
What advice would you give to the Youth on how to go about getting assistance from Swaziland National Youth Council?
“My advice to the Youth would be, if you have a dream or vision and a project in mind don’t waste any more time, come to SNYC and get the most mind-blowing support you can ever get. Even if it is not monetary, consulting with the team, getting guidance and having them walk with you every step of the way in your project makes a big difference in the success of your endeavor”.
Buhle Bendvodza Multipurpose Cooperative
Tell us about Buhle Bendvodza and what it is all about?
“Buhle Bendvodza multipurpose cooperative is a group of young people whose vision is to showcase Eswatini traditional sibhaca and ingadla dance to the society. As a team, we dance the Ingadla and Sibhaca to make money and also to keep ourselves busy as young people because an idle mind is a troubled one”.
What role did SNYC play towards the success of your cooperative?
“SNYC encouraged and assisted us in joining youth cooperatives which gave us a direction on how to make and manage the money that we generate as a group. SNYC also invites us to most of their events and further market our talent through the platforms that they have at their disposable”.
What are your plans going forward with your cooperative?
“We want to expand the group to benefit more young people who share the same interests as us. We also aim at having a sustainable income that will help cover the needs of the team members and the society. As a team, we thrive to satisfy our clients through the electrifying performances that we render and win big competitions like the Imvelo and Ingwenyama Cup”.
How far have you come with your project? “We are done with registrations and we have achieved a certificate and now we are looking for more tenders to showcase our talent to the world”.
