The Kharas governors' Youth Desk hosted a leadership and financial literacy training at the Keetmanshoop multi-purpose youth centre on Friday.
Raymond Freyer, youth desk coordinator and training facilitator, said there is a need to equip young people with leadership and financial management skills to prepare them for opportunities and the workplace.
"We saw the need to equip the youth volunteers better with some leadership skills and also give them a better understanding of what is expected from them as leaders and also as volunteers in the Governor's Youth Task," Freyer said.
The training included leadership skills, personal development, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
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Freyer shared that the youth desk aims to empower young people for future opportunities and to encourage volunteerism and leadership roles.
"We would like to see a positive change in behaviour and leadership styles. We would also like to see that our youth are more active in the community and definitely be able to represent youth, but also the governor's youth desk," Freyer said.
He added that the training will benefit the participants and have a positive impact on the community. Despite a low youth turnout, Freyer said they wish to expand their training beyond Keetmanshoop and attract more youth from the region.
"We would like to say that we are definitely positive about the impact that this training will have, and in future we would definitely like to welcome more participants, not only from Keetmanshoop, but from the whole region. The turnout could have been better, but we do not allow that to discourage us because the one or two people that we need to impact might be sitting amongst the group that is there," Freyer explained.
Shaun-Dee Appolus, a participant and youth volunteer at the governor's youth desk, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to attend the training, saying that youth should take ownership of their leadership role.
"It is a great initiative for the majority of youth who are here to step up and take ownership of their personal roles in leadership, whether at home, at university, college, or any other space that they take ownership of. They need to be able to reflect on their personal morals and principles and be able to extend practical skills to the next generation that they would like to empower, to motivate, innovate, and uplift," Appolus ended.
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Appolus called for more youth training to keep youth informed, engaged and exposed to opportunities.
