The Youth Development Program under the auspices of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) has received a major boost after Sasai Econet Financial Services, a subsidiary of Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL) injected a whooping M150 000 into the initiative.
Commonly known as bootcamp, the program seeks to equip youth with patriotism , discipline ,tolerance and leadership skills. It was introduced in2021 as a way of deterring youngsters from criminal activities and ay forms of outrageous behaviour. Thousands of youth are believed to have benefited from this program and is often hailed as a necessary for the youth to transit into adulthood.
Speaking at the handing over of the cheque at Ratjomose Barracks in Maseru on Tuesday, LDF commander, Lieutenant General Mojalefa Letsoela said the program has and continues to manifest young leaders that Lesotho needs. He said although it was mooted on the back of a spate of violent crimes perpetrated by the youngsters, the program has become a fundamental aspect in maturing Basotho youth. “We never had anything to start with, but we vowed to ourselves that it had to happen. We then put into practice and it yielded positive results, “he said.
The army chief then expressed gratitude to the telecommunication giant for the support and stressed that the funds will be integral in enhancing the activities offered by the training. “We really struggled a lot and I am just trying to emphasize how important the funds will be. We have everything we need but we need infrastructure which is ideally designed to cater for the needs of the bootcampers. Once we have established the infrastructure now will we will improve the services which we offer. “He said.
For his part, the General Manager of Sasai Econet Financial Services, Lehlohonolo Matee reaffirmed ETL’s commitment to render back towards socio –economic initiatives.
”We are glad to contribute to the shaping of this next generation. It’s been years since we supported such initiatives and we have a department such as the Higher life Foundation which pledges at least two percent of its annual revenue to award scholarships to hard working students. We target kids of families who have potential but are disadvantaged. We want to change this country that is why we chose to support the army’s mission to make the Lesotho we wall yearn for,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the bootcamp participants, Limpho Nts’ohi acknowledged ETL’s consistent involvement in youth education and community programs, aligning with their motto, “Inspired to Change Your World.”
