BY REGINALD KANYANE
The Bokamoso Agricultural Innovation hub has turned the tide against unemployment for the young people of Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality. The Manyeledi village based foundation fought against poverty within the village.
The foundation has launched an agricultural innovation hub and employed at least six full time employees.
The enterprise incubated and motivated community members for four months and provided them with basic course in agriculture. North West MEC of Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development department, Manketse Tlhape said the youth were equipped with seedlings, advances to planting and ends with harvest courses.
The Deputy Minister General Bheki Cele and Tlhape visited the hub on Tuesday to conduct community engagements and unpack opportunities presented by the sector specifically to women.
“The Bokamoso Agri Innovation Lab has two years in operation. Its operation is a social enterprise which aims to connect rural communities to opportunities through empowerment by using diverse entrepreneurial platforms and encouraging increased participation of women in the economic stream as female entrepreneurs.
The owner of Bokamoso Agri Innovation Lab, Lesego Serolong said she had chosen the area as she believed that many rural communities did not get opportunities that were received by other urban ones. Serolong said she believed in the potential of any young South Africans.
“The young people in the Kagisano Molopo possess equal capability like any other young people. The most important thing that we need to do as a civil society facing the triple challenges of poverty, employment and inequality is to ask ourselves of what we need to do to address those issues.
“We need to find solutions to our problems.”
She holds a Bachelor degree from the London School of Economics. Serolong added that she wants to see more partners on the project and would like to see it connecting the invisible rural population to opportunities through empowerment using a diversified entrepreneurial platform.
Tlhape said the gathering was important as it happened during women’s month and after the departmental Female Entrepreneurship Awards. She added that the 5th administration was prioritising women empowerment and the Bokamoso Agri Innovation Hub showed that women can go to greater heights.
“I believe that the project leader, Serolong has passion more than any other thing on the work she does. It is imperative for young people to grab opportunities as they are brought forward by government. The project embraces the key government concretes which include VTSD and Saamtrek Saamwerk,” Tlhape said.
She urged young people to engage with Serolong so that she can impart her knowledge and skills.
Bheki Cele lauded the project and said it was unbelievable that non-arable land can grow such green and fresh vegetables. He further said the youth project has defied a myth about young people having no interest in agriculture.
Cele called on all partners to have a further discussion and model how the project can be grown further including assisting on water challenges they raised.
“The meeting should take place very soon because we want to see the project sustainable and young people getting involved,” he concluded.
The Bokamoso project also runs an after school program with the library for the local community with an aim of exposing young children to farming at an early age. Their vegetable produce market includes local public schools and local shops.
TaungDailyNews 