By: Kananelo Maphenchane

MASERU

On the 29h January 2025, the Youth Power Hub team held a national youth dialogue and networking forum, which is attended by the minister of gender, youth, sports, arts, culture and social development, Hon. Pitso Lesaoana, the European Union Ambassador to Lesotho, Her Excellency Paola Amadei, and the Parliament representative, Hon. Makhalanyane Mokothu, who all engaged in a high-level panel discussion.

Before the discussions started, the youth presented a policy brief outlining the six key messages from young people in Lesotho, that highlights the actions to be undertaken by the government in order to empower young people at and deepen their involvement in governance, development and national budgeting processes. According to the policy brief, the messages are derived from the contributions of over 100 young people who participated at the launch of the Youth Power Hub in September 2024.

The six key messages, which are presented in the policy brief, basically urge the government to expand entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities for young people across the country. Through the initiatives such as BEDCO, Sebabatso Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative, Enhancing Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development Project, Lesotho National Youth Entrepreneurship Mentorship Program, and Bacha Entrepreneurship Project, which were started by the Lesotho government and its development partners, have been great efforts to foster supportive environment for youth entrepreneurship in Lesotho.

The youth however, have expressed that they still face certain challenges that require government attention, such as financial difficulties for people living in the rural areas, insufficient entrepreneurial mindset among youths, and minimal community support among others. It is for this reason that ongoing capacity building on sustainable entrepreneurship should be established, and the youth should be helped with access to global markets and networking with other international entrepreneurs.

The Youth also ask the government to reform and increase investment in the education system to enhance relevance, quality and access by all regardless of place of residence, disability and socio-economic status.

One of the major issues raised in the brief is the skills mismatch between our education system and the job market needs, where it was noted that our curriculum is more theoretical rather than practical, leaving many unprepared for the workforce. In a similar note, lack of employment opportunities has also left many young people discouraged from pursuing further education.

Because of the aforementioned issues in education, the young people recommended an increase in financial investment in the education sector to meet regional and global benchmarks, ensuring that all necessary inputs are in place to provide quality learning across all levels of education. They also recommend reforms in the education system to ensure practicality, relevance and alignment with Lesotho’s development trajectory and development goals.

In their third key message, the youth urge the government to strengthen national and youth participation and empowerment mechanisms at national and local level, including the national youth council and Youth Resource Centers.

Low youth representation in decision-making institutes such as the parliament has greatly impacted the youth’s ability to hold decision-makers accountable, and to also voice out their concerns and be heard and addressed. The policy brief further explains that many young people cannot access information that is mainly distributed through social media and other digital platforms because of lack of financial muscle to keep buying data and gadgets such as smart phones, which hinders their ability to make informed decisions and engage effectively in governance and development processes.

To tackle this issue, it is recommended that among others, the government should constitute the National Youth Council and ensure it is adequately funded from the national government budget to effectively fulfil its mission. Establishment of a structured platform for child and youth participation in governance and budgeting, in order to allow young people to directly engage with policymakers, so that their views are taken into consideration when making policies.

The fourth key message, which is about enhancement of quality and privacy in access to reproductive and other health services by young people, has been brought about by young people facing a number of challenges when trying to access health services due to high costs, and also lack of discretion especially when it comes to sexual and reproductive health.

The youth have suggested addressing these concerns by implementing online healthcare services for provision of confidential healthcare advice and consultations, especially for sensitive reproductive health issues. They also ask for a reduced cost of reproductive healthcare services due to their limited financial situation. They would like to see improvement in access to sanitary services and products by girls and young women, including those out of school. The youth have also recommended inclusive and accessible delivery of reproductive health communication and messaging that is inclusive by all young people.

In their fifth message, the youth would like to see an end to violence against girls and young women, and ensuring of timely delivery of justice against the perpetrators. The brief explains that high prevalence of gender-based violence is often due to factors such as poverty, unemployment, and limited access to education, and is manifested in various forms such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse. The perpetrators are often school mates, intimate partners and family members.

To combat this, the youth’s advice to the government is to strengthen law enforcement by ensuring timely investigation of cases and prosecution of offenders. Targeting of women for economic empowerment and educational opportunities would also help them become more independent. Improved access to support services to survivors with things such as temporary shelters, legal aid, and counseling would encourage more survivors to seek help.

The youth’s final message, which is to strengthen coordination, networking and knowledge sharing among young people and stop unhealthy competition, is brought about by lack of meaningful collaboration partly due to unhealthy competition among organisations that claim to support young people in Lesotho. The competitive environment has promoted a culture of mistrust and rivalry, which holds back the effectiveness of youth-focused initiatives in Lesotho.

Efficient and transparent distribution of resources could help maximise the impact of youth-led organisations, with regularly organised networking forums for knowledge sharing among the organisations. Expanded access to digital resources and training through sustained online platforms would allow young people to build skills and share knowledge, even in remote areas.

The Lesotho government, with its development partners such as the IOM, UNICEF and E.U, have taken great steps in the social and economic development of all groups of youths in Lesotho, but it seems more work needs to be done still, and the Youth Power Hub is a step in the right direction.