A group of young unemployed graduates from the John Taolo Gaetsewe district decided to form an organisation called a Tswelelopele Foundation. Tswelelopele means progress in Setswana.

Tswelelopele Foundation recently conducted a sample research to find the reasons behind the high unemployment rate of graduates in the district.

The JTG district municipality is home to the world’s largest iron ore and manganese deposits with many mines around Kuruman, Kathu and Hotazel, which attract a large number of people from over the country and the continent to seek a living in this area.

Local residents and citizens are however largely overlooked for employment, especially by mines and others for not investing in real solutions to create a sustainable economic growth independent of the mining industry.

The escalating unemployment crisis in the region resulted in an uncontrollable series of tragic events such as hopelessness and despondence leading to theft, drug abuse, suicide and violent crimes, mostly by young people.

This new organisation resolved to establish a private non-profit body that will formulate effective solutions that will permanently address problems faced by their immediate community as to why graduates are not employed locally. The results of their report after the research were eye-opening and the recommendation will be shared with the relevant partners and stakeholders.

The foundation hopes to permanently eradicate the scourge of inequality, poverty and unemployment. Granted that it is an ambitious goal, it is achievable with the backing of everybody concerned.

Tswelelopele Foundation communication