Usakos brick project takes first prize

THE winners of this year’s National Youth Expo, a youth-development initiative backed by the National Youth Council (NYC), were rewarded for their hard work last week when Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) CEO David Nuyoma presented prizes worth N$42 500 at a ceremony held at Usakos.

Since 2005, the DBN has donated almost N$200 000 to the NYC to be used as prize money and training programmes for past winners. The focus has been on directly financing the winners, allowing them to reinvest the money in their businesses.’This is the kind of seed which I want to be talked about,’ Nuyoma said, referring to the initiatives being taken by young people who participated in the expo, ‘because this is where the tree of our future comes from.’He also encouraged youth in the Erongo Region to take advantage of the rush for uranium in the area and find out what opportunities were available to them from the larger companies.’Knock on their doors,’ he urged, adding that youth initiatives had the power to breathe new life into Namibia’s towns.The Usakos Youth Brick Making Project was the overall winner of the expo, and were awarded N$20 000 in recognition of their achievements. ‘The main goal of the project is to effect behavioural change,’ said the Project Coordinator, Asker Mwafangeyo. The initiative, launched in late 2007, provides employment and practical skills training to unemployed youth in Usakos, simultaneously alleviating poverty and keeping them out of trouble.The project employs ten youths, and is located on a plot of land donated by the Usakos Municipality. Using a combination of the machinery donated by the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) and manual labour, they can produce up to 1 000 building blocks and 1 500 small bricks per day. After a curing process that lasts one week, the bricks are available for sale.The methodical production process and separation of duties ensures quality control, says Mwafangeyo, and AfriSam, one of southern Africa’s largest construction materials suppliers, does additional quality control checks on the finished products.In addition to brick-making, Mwafangeyo hopes to launch a new skills development programme in brick-laying, providing a one-stop service to clients, the majority of whom are found through the Erongo Municipality’s ‘Build Together Project’.’The Erongo Region is wealthy with business opportunities, and I hope that some of them reach your office soon,’ said Mwafangeyo to Nuyoma, referring to the DBN’s SME Finance Facilities.ndapwa@namibian.com