By Koviao Matuzee
Youth Home Freedom Organisation director Tjivatu Kangootui is calling for stronger connections between young Namibians and organizations offering skills, mentorship and other development opportunities.
Kangootui, who is organizing the upcoming Youth & NGO Engagement Initiative, says many young people have the potential to succeed but remain disconnected from opportunities because they lack information, guidance and the networks needed to access them.
The initiative, scheduled for 24 October 2026, is expected to bring together young people aged 15 to 35 and NGOs under the theme of connecting, discovering and empowering youth.
Kangootui said the initiative is aimed at addressing what he describes as a significant gap between young people and organizations that provide support and opportunities.
“Many young people hear about opportunities too late, do not know where to look for legitimate programs, or are afraid to approach organizations,” Kangootui said.
According to Kangootui, the event is aimed at giving young people an opportunity to interact directly with NGOs and learn about programs in areas including training, mentorship, volunteering, entrepreneurship, and youth development.
He also emphasized that the initiative is not promising jobs or funding to participants.
“We cannot promise every participant a job or funding, but we can create a platform where young people can find out what opportunities genuinely exist and how to access them,” he said.
The initiative is deliberately open to in-school youth, out-of-school youth and school dropouts, with Kangootui saying young people’s circumstances should not prevent them from accessing information and opportunities.
“We believe that every young person deserves to be heard, regardless of whether they are currently in school or not,” he added.
He further said that the organizers also want participating NGOs to go beyond simply attending the event, calling on them to clearly explain their programs, eligibility criteria and contact points, while considering opportunities such as internships, volunteering, mentorship and skills development.
“We do not want NGOs to simply attend, speak and leave,” Kangootui said.
“Most importantly, we want the event to start relationships that can continue beyond 24 October,” he added.
According to him, the success of the initiative will not be measured simply by the number of young people who attend.
He said organizers intend to collect feedback and follow up with participants to establish whether they subsequently connected with NGOs, applied for programs, accessed training or received mentorship.
“Success will not simply be the number of people who attend the event. Success will be seeing young people take the next step after the event,” Kangootui said.
The organisation also hopes to develop follow-up activities, including youth discussions, mentorship opportunities, skills-development sessions and volunteering opportunities, depending on the partnerships established.
Kangootui said the long-term goal is to create a sustainable bridge between young people and organizations working in communities.
He also encouraged young people who feel excluded from opportunities to attend the event and engage directly with participating organizations.
“Do not count yourself out before you have tried,” he said.
“Your current situation does not have to determine your future,” he added.
The initiative is expected to give young people an opportunity to ask questions directly to NGOs, understand how their programs work and build networks that could potentially extend beyond the October engagement.
