Windhoek
Commemorating National Youth Week
Daisry Mathias' assistant showing the Harambe Prosperity Plan
This year’s Namibia Youth Speak Forum was part of Namibia’s National youth week, which ran from the 25th of April 2016 till 30th of April 2016. The main aim of the event was to engage, inspire and discuss with the youth on how they can contribute to sustainable entrepreneurship and the economic development of the country.
Ms. Daisry Mathias, The Presidential Adviser on Youth Matters and Enterprise Development, opened the ceremony by delivering the keynote speech. She illustrated the importance of the Harambee Prosperity Plan. Further, she encouraged the youth to embrace the plan in order to achieve Vision 2030. “Government alone cannot create all required jobs, entrepreneurship is the expression of Namibian solutions to Namibian problems,“ she stressed.
Ms. Mathias also advised the youth to read the Harambee Prosperity Plan to enhance their knowledge on the current youth development policy laid out. She assured that the youth should hold the government accountable for the execution of the objectives of the Harambee Prosperity Plan.
The Harambee Prosperity Plan is aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship based on the four critical success factors or sub-pillars namely: Macro-Economic Stability, Economic Transformation, Youth Enterprise Development, and Economic Competitiveness.
Ms. Lucia Kamari – Project Officer of the Hanns Seidel Foundation
Other notable speakers included Mr. Dennis Zaire, Program Manager at Konrad Adeneur Foundation Namibia & Angola. He addressed the topic on “Enhancing opporrtunities for youth entrepreneurs in Africa through trade “. He has experience with entrepreneurship through trade and cost barriers existing for trading within the Africa Region. "Developing countries, many of which are in Africa, and aspiring business entrepreneurs in Africa, must be determined to be active participants in global trade, to help developed their countries and communities, by joining global value chains and ultimately become global competitors," he stated.
Ms. Luiza Shekupe, Senior Programme Officer in the Resource Mobilization & Grant, shared information on the work of the National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST), their programmes and grants for young people to support business ideas. Young people were also invited to the Innovation Challenge – a call to provide opportunities for Namibian innovators to present solutions and national challenges.
Mr. Ullrich Kinne from the Embassy of the Republic of German
A panel of Namibian intellectuals engaged in a panel discussion with the youth delegation, revolving around questions of how innovative youth businesses/SMEs can not only start up but also possess the ability to upscale and compete with cooperate giants.
Mr. Ullrich Kinne from the Embassy of the Republic of Germany importantly noted that the youth is the future of Namibian’s economic development to achieve prosperity and economic development.
In closing off the forum, Ms. Lucia Kamati, Project Officer at the Hanns Seidel Foundation, reminded the youth that they are the most valuable resources of Namibia and the solution to the country’s economic growth. “The answer to Namibian economic problems does not only lie in the Government, corruption, and dividing resources among privileged elites, but it lies in competition, innovation, education, and in equitable growth that benefits all Namibians,” she concluded.