Young people from Ngwempisi Inkhundla will on Friday take part in a capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping them with skills in entrepreneurship, leadership and civic engagement, while also addressing gender-based violence in the community.
The workshop is being organized by the Ngwempisi Inkhundla Youth Committee in collaboration with the Eswatini National Youth Council and the Ngwempisi Inkhundla Council.
Chairperson of the Ngwempisi Inkhundla Youth Committee, Ellis ‘Lovutha’ Dlamini, said the initiative is intended to empower youth with practical knowledge that can help them contribute to community development. 
“The workshop focuses on bringing about a mind-set change while equipping young people with essential business plan writing skills that can help them unlock sustainable opportunities and build a resilient future,” Dlamini said.
He also said unemployment and lack of opportunities remain key challenges for young people in the area.
Therefore, the workshop, he added, seeks to address this by providing training that can enable youth to start and sustain small businesses.
According to Dlamini, the dedicated session on gender-based violence will also form part of the program.
Dlamini noted that the session will focus on raising awareness, sharing prevention strategies and encouraging young people to become advocates for safer communities.
He said addressing GBV is central to development in the inkhundla. “We cannot talk about progress if our communities are not safe,” he said.
Dlamini noted that young people must be part of the solution and must lead efforts to end violence.
The program will further include a session on leadership and democratic engagement.
The aim is to strengthen civic awareness and promote youth participation in governance at grassroots level.
An officer from the Elections and Boundaries Commission is expected to address participants on the importance of democratic participation.
The officer will also encourage young people to consider taking up leadership positions, including contesting parliamentary elections.
“We want our youth to understand that they have a voice and that they can contribute positively to the country’s development through leadership and democratic participation,” Dlamini said.
He noted that many young people are not fully aware of how government structures work.
The session is meant to provide clarity and motivate youth to get involved in decision-making processes.
The workshop will also cover business planning. Facilitators will guide participants on how to develop business proposals, identify market gaps and access support for micro and small enterprises.
Dlamini said many youth in Ngwempisi have business ideas but lack the technical skills to implement them. He said the training is expected to close that gap.
Organizers said the workshop is also intended to promote healing and rebuild trust within the community following unrest experienced in previous years.
“Following what happened in Ngwempisi during the unrest, we believe initiatives such as this can help restore trust, strengthen collaboration and inspire young people to become agents of peace and development,” Dlamini said.
The Eswatini National Youth Council is providing technical support for the workshop.
The Ngwempisi Inkhundla Council is assisting with coordination and mobilization.
Dlamini called on all young people in the inkhundla to attend. He said the workshop will provide practical learning, interactive discussions and networking opportunities.
“We want participants to leave with skills they can apply immediately,” he said.
Government and youth organizations have in recent years increased efforts to support youth development across the country.
Programs focusing on skills training, civic education and GBV prevention have been prioritized as part of efforts to address unemployment and social challenges.
