By Thoboloko Ntšonyane
MASERU – After three and a half years of dedicated work, the transformative project that placed youth and women at the heart of inclusive economic growth has successfully concluded, earning widespread praise for its remarkable impact.
Implemented by Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) and Lesotho Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and funded by the European Union (EU) and the Financial Service Volunteer Corps (FSVC), the initiative has uplifted communities across the districts of Maseru, Leribe, and Botha-Bothe.
Under the ‘Putting Youth and Women at the Centre of Inclusive Economic Growth’ framework, DWF lead the training programmes designed to strengthen the capabilities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and small and medium enterprises (SMMEs).
According to the DWF, “the project contributed to strengthening the capacity of CSOs and Business Development Service (BDS) providers to support the employability, business and entrepreneurial skills of youth and women while also enhancing the capacity of Community Council Members and District Coordinating Committees in facilitating participatory and responsive enterprise support service to SMMEs led by women and youth.
“This has been achieved through supporting, advocating and piloting more relevant education, vocational training development strategies and promoting economic and social rights.”
The DWF Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Katiso Mosoeunyane highlighted that they have launched an online portal which is a multisector enterprise support network and also boasts digital responses to some challenges that have rocked women and youth.
He reported that the project successfully engaged 32% of male adults, 32% of female adults, 18% of female youth, and 18% of male youth across the three districts where it was implemented.
Speaking at a reflective event, the EU’s Team Leader, Anna Renieri highlighted that this action aligned with the Gender Action Plan III, the Country Level Implementation Plan 2023-2026 Youth Action Plan, and the EU Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society.
She went on to stress the importance of this period as a critical time to reflect on the action’s outcomes and plan the next steps. These steps, Renieri said, include linking the action with other ongoing EU initiatives, maintaining stakeholder engagement, and evaluating the overall impact. She underlined the need to ensure that the project’s results are widely disseminated among relevant stakeholders to support the action’s sustainability.
A notable achievement of the action she noted was the Participatory Action Research (PAR), which evaluated the involvement of women and youth-led organizations in community decision-making processes. It also examined how effectively business development services were responding to the needs of youth and women.
Beneficiaries from the three districts said they have seen significant improvements in their economic and social opportunities, a testament to the project’s legacy of empowerment and growth.
The journey, they affirmed, is far from over, promising that their work will persist to ensure lasting change.
One participant, Lieketseng Hleoheng mentioned that the project transformed her entity. Lineo Motseki also expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to be involved and suggested that continued mentorship should be included on an ongoing basis to achieve even better results.
Dr Augustine Magolowondo, the DWF Regional Director acknowledged the progress made saying that the challenges facing youth and women are ongoing. He went on to commit the continuing efforts to empower these groups, focusing on building their capacities as they advance in both their business ventures and civil society roles.