…rallies 400 young people across Eswatini to turn trash to treasure
BY EPN REPORTER
MBABANE– Eswatini is pulling all the stops to address youth unemployment in the country.
As part of the MTN Group’s annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care programme, MTN Eswatini is embarking on a ‘Turning Trash to Treasure’ project for disadvantaged youths, which is steeped in imparting skills on young people in proper waste management, including recycling, repurposing and up-cycling of waste products.
The project will encourage youth to turn trash into treasure by converting it into revenue earnings or income generating projects. These projects will transform the country’s youth into entrepreneurs thereby generating employment and skills development opportunities.
The annual MTN 21 Days of Y’ello Care activities will be the vehicle that will drive this innovation in collaboration with the Yibutse Green Action, a grassroots organization that mobilizes youth and communities to be active in matters of climate change action and environmental care.
Up to 400 disadvantaged young people, comprising of youth, people with disability, students of environmental and health sciences, waste-pickers and recycling entrepreneurs will participate in a series of workshops, exhibition and competition for young people on turning waste to treasure.
The primary focus is to awaken young people to their capacity and potential to grow and develop entrepreneurial and leadership qualities, while at the same time addressing environmental problems affecting their specific local communities.
There will be four workshops to be held in the four regions of the country.
The first workshop will comprise of the youth from Matsapha, Manzini, Mbabane, Lobamba, and Ezulwini and will be held at the MTN Headquarters in Ezulwini. The second group will be from Nhlangano, Hlathikhulu, Hluthi, Matsanjeni, and Lavumisa in the South of the country and will be hosted at the Nhlangano Town Council. This will be followed by a workshop at the Simunye Country Club for the youth from Siteki, Simunye, Mhlume, Lomahasha and Big Bend in the Lubombo region. The fourth workshop will be held at Maguga Lodge for the benefit of the youth from Piggs Peak, Buhleni, Mnyokane, Nkhaba and Matsamo.
Each of the workshops will be have 100 youth in participation.
By hosting these workshops, MTN intends to sensitise, the public and to generate national interest on the need to create opportunities for the youth by engaging them in sustainable entrepreneurship projects.
The youths from disadvantaged backgrounds will learn about environmental, waste management issues and how to derive economic streams from waste, including e-waste.
The project will assist those with viable, sustainable plans in further mentoring and management on specific areas of concern to ensure the success of the projects they have identified.
To ensure sustainability, the youth will be ably empowered with knowledge on how to generate funds through the sale of materials, to buy-back collection centres and present other environmental projects. It is hoped that the youth will learn business and personal financial skills, and become ‘Ambassadors of Environment’ within their communities. The pillar goal is to encourage them to drive environmental and waste management initiatives.
The MTN Group is committed to improving its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.
MTN is committed to youth empowerment and environmental stewardship.
Eswatini’s youth remains the pillar of strength for long-term social and economic development and MTN believes it is its responsibility, along with the Government and corporate business, to identify and empower them with entrepreneurial and employment opportunities, knowledge, skills and expertise to fulfil their true potential and talents.
Through the ‘Turning Trash to Treasure’ project, MTN is playing its corporate citizen role in building capacity and creating opportunities for the youth, particularly disadvantaged young people, by opening a window of opportunity in sustainable business activities for small scale job creation.”
As part of the MTN Group’s Ambition 2025 strategy, the organisation says it will continuously work with partners and communities to create shared value, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) at the core. This is part of MTN’s deliberate action towards sustainable development and sustainable livelihoods.
The turn trash to treasure campaign, is an extension of MTN’s contribution and responsibility in protecting and managing the environment. This has enhanced MTN’s environmental lens, as many of the markets the Group operates in have enormous potential for sustainable growth and environmental conservation. Young people have a unique role to play in changing the narrative around the world’s environmental breakdown and becoming an essential part of the solution.
Musa Ndlangamandla, the executive director of Yibutse Green Action said the organisation was honoured to partner with MTN in empowering youth and imparting skills on proper waste management to them.
“Employment generation, especially for disadvantaged youths, women and people with disability, and the promotion of proper waste management in the country is intrinsically linked to the nation’s health, growth and prosperity,” Ndlangamandla said.
“Young people are the majority of the country’s population and we need to inculcate in them a culture of environmental stewardship and climate change action. Afterall, they are the ones to inherit the country’s future. This project will foster effective waste management among young people resulting in environmental protection and sustainability.”
