After an intense six months of daily sessions and six weeks in a job shadowing exercise, 47 participants from our Finding The Leader Within Leadership program graduated! The program, funded by The FACET Foundation, targets 18- to 25-year-old youth who are unemployed and or out of school living in Mochudi. The objective is to get them ready for the workplace, start their own small business or return to school. This is achieved through the following modules; Career Skills, Business & Financial Literacy, Computer Skills, Leadership Skills and Healthy Lifestyles.
CEO of VYB Digital, Mr. Karabo Letsholo delivered the commencement speech, and led the graduates in a spirited affirmation:
‘I know I can, be what I want to be. If I work hard in it, I will be where I want to be.’
He further went on to recount his personal story of struggle and triumph, inspiring the attendees by demonstrating that with the right attitude we can all achieve what we want in life.
One of the participants, Waone offered her own testimony of how the skills she learned in the program have helped her to thrive in her own life. Waone shared that when she started the program, she was reserved and lacked self-confidence. However, she quickly developed her interpersonal and CV writing skills. These landed her a job as a waitress in one of the prestigious restaurants in Gaborone.
“This was possible due to the skills I was equipped with the such as confidence, writing CVs and cover letters and preparation for interviews,” she said.
Waone is thriving in her job! She is able to fully articulate herself, which is helping her build connections and expand her professional networks that could lead to new, progressive opportunities in the future.
In addition to their program completion certificates, graduates also received certificates from the ABSA Ready To Work Program. This certifies successful completion of the four modules program designed to equip young people with the necessary skills to find employment or create self-employment. Other special awards include recognizing individuals who demonstrated excellence in different areas. Including; Most Innovative Participant, Best Role Model, Most Improved, and more. Of the 47 graduating participants, 36 gained valuable work experience through the job shadowing exercise, five are now fully employed and six are pursuing higher education. Our second cohort for the year begins in July 2021