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Namibia’s disadvantaged youth empowered to build secure futures
JehlaniAfrica
Senior Member

82297_13-05_[Linked-in]August_content_140817.jpgLike all of our offices throughout Africa, Standard Bank Namibia has realised the power of education to develop the communities in which we operate. That’s why they have supported the non-profit Katutura Youth and Enterprise Centre, or KAYEC Trust, for half a decade, a vocational training centre based in Ondangwa and Windhoek that helps disadvantaged Namibians gain the skills they need to become employable or start their own businesses.

 

In early July, our Namibian Standard Bankers illustrated this support when they handed over a total of 75 toolkits to KAYEC graduates in Ondangwa (a small town in the northern region of the country) who specialised in the vocational fields of automotive, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, tiling/painting and welding. Worth a total of N$240 000, the kits contained all the equipment for the students to find employment or work for themselves.

 

During the event, Ismael Hakaaje, Northern Regional Manager, Standard Bank Namibia, shared that since Namibia’s unemployment rate is currently estimated at 34%, the Bank sees an urgent need to address the problem by investing in young, upcoming graduates. Furthermore, entrepreneurship is an intrinsic part of Standard Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility, as it not only offers young people an avenue into the small and medium business sector, but enables them to contribute to the economy.

 

Mr Hakaaje also encouraged the graduates to make the best of their training, saying that the doors have been opened for them to start their own businesses or gain employment in a vocational trade: “We hope that the new toolkits will empower you to build yourself a prosperous future. We wish you all the best with your future endeavours!”