EMPOWERING YOUTH TO CREATE A BRIGHTER FUTURE

 Piece by Amantle Mumsy Moremi (BIHL Group representative at Forbes Under 30 Africa Summit) 

The Government of Botswana continues to renew its commitment to supporting and empowering the youth, recognizing the country's growing youth population and the need to apply innovative initiatives. In support of this, the private sector continues to be wheeled to back Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives such as the recently ended Forbes under 30 Africa Summit. 

Half of the world's population is now under the age of 30, with emerging and developing countries accounting for 90% of this age group. These countries continue to make every effort to empower young people to build a better future for themselves. Investing in the youth, in particular, can help accelerate progress toward a prosperous and sustainable future by exposing them to relevant and future-proof skills, connecting them to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities, and supporting them as they change our world for the betterment of themselves and all of us. 

The Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa 2022 was hosted in Botswana to empower youth by allowing delegates to network with other young people and learn about cultures from all around Africa, as well as elevating the voices of elite young entrepreneurs and game-changers. This was a fantastic chance for young people to obtain the skills, resources, and networks they need to solve challenges in their communities, as well as to be empowered to lead processes, create jobs that contribute to economic growth, and much more. 

Through this platform, a wealth of knowledge and new avenues were availed for the youth by collaborating and leveraging opportunities for Botswana youth to interact with other youth within Africa. It is podiums like the Forbes Africa that bring the world to us as Botswana especially when it comes to exposure, learning, benchmarking, as well as developing networks and discovering prospective partners. This was an opportunity to make the most of and use it as a springboard into the commercial world by Botswana youth. 

This is also an opportune time for the youth for it has given them the ability to network, engage and build rapport with other attendees and indeed a chance presented to Botswana's youth to create the possibility of a better day, a brighter and better tomorrow.  

Youth-owned businesses are growing and education has taken a dynamic shift from what we used to know.  The youth need to actively and intentionally foster long-lasting and workable solutions to find space in a world of transformation and build brighter futures. The Forbes Under 30 Africa Summit was exactly needed to put Botswana on the map. Other than that, this was also an opportunity for not only the Government of Botswana but also for parastatals and the private sector to join hands in promoting ESG initiatives and be part of growing Botswana’s economy. 

In thein vein, in choosing to sponsor the forum, the BIHL Group further reaffirms support towards enabling social entrepreneurship and putting youth in the proverbial driver’s seat so they can make actionable strides in improving their environments. Youth energy, passion, and courage to challenge the status quo are needed to identify and address complex global problems, and their insights are worthy of attention and investment for they are the future. Access – to people, resources and platforms – is how those before us can help pave the way for us. 

The BIHL Group underwent a selection criterion by requesting that the team under the age of 30 should submit a two-minute video clip justifying why they were the most suitable candidates to represent the Group.  Ten candidates were shortlisted and were tasked with making a presentation to the Executive Committee and the theme was centered on the future outlook of the Group with an emphasis on digital evolution and taking into consideration the various stakeholders.  

My presentation was based on practicality and realistic steps that the BIHL Group can implore to move towards transformation. It was there that I provided a holistic view of the current internal and external factors affecting businesses as a whole, the potential pitfalls and the endless opportunities. Through this selection, I was then chosen to represent the organization. This gave me an opportunity to be on a podium with other African youth from different countries across Africa and it was indeed an eye-opener for I learnt a lot.  

Building legacies and investing in the lives of young people through forums like is a step in ensuring that the youth are exposed to platforms that are you-inclusive and ESG-led. As champions of and for advancement, and innovation the youth should not limit themselves. They should support one another in order to build stronger support ecosystems to help them turn and materialize their goals into practical and innovative development solutions.  

This is just one way we seek to empower youngsters to build a better future for themselves, and we commit to investing in this important aspiration through platforms like this. After all, our youth are our future. 

 

Footnote1: https://www.euromonitor.com/article/emerging-markets-account-for-90-of-t...