BY MLONDZI NKAMBULE
MBABANE- Forty-eight young people from Mbabane have graduated after receiving entrepreneurship and crocheting training through projects supported by the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM).
The graduation ceremony was attended by Mbabane Mayor Thulani Mkhonto, city councillors and Municipal Council of Mbabane Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gciniwe Fakudze.
The council partnered with Kwakha Indvodza to provide entrepreneurship training to 23 young people. The week-long programme equipped participants with skills in tax compliance, financial management and other aspects of running a business.
A further 25 young people received crocheting training through a partnership with Crafty Hook, a local crocheting business.
Speaking during the ceremony, Fakudze encouraged the graduates to build on the skills they had acquired, saying the training should mark the beginning of greater achievements.
“You are still very young. The world is your oyster, and you can achieve even greater things. This should be the beginning,” she said.
She particularly encouraged the young women to take up opportunities, become economically active and use their skills to generate additional income.
“Use your hands and work for yourself. Do something, earn an extra income where you can. I like seeing women work, especially mothers,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mkhonto thanked the council’s partners for contributing to the empowerment of young people through skills development.
He said the skills acquired by the graduates were valuable assets that could not easily be taken away from them.
“One of the good things about a skill is that it becomes your own, no one can take it away from you,” he said.
The mayor further encouraged the graduates to use their newly acquired skills to improve their livelihoods and contribute positively to their communities.
One of the graduates, Buyiswa Nkambule, also expressed gratitude to Kwakha Indvodza and the council for the opportunity, particularly for the entrepreneurship skills she had acquired.
