Botswana Announces 5th Annual Youth Awards

Rewarding Youth Service is important in motivating increased participation. Botswana has taken a lead in nationally recognizing youths and projects that have made a difference in local communities. Earlier this week the Botswana Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture announced the start of the process to nominate and give out their 5th Annual Youth Awards.

Ministry arranges 5th youth awards

Staff Writer

The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture, through the Department of Culture and Youth, will be hosting the 5th Botswana National Youth Service Awards this year.

The awards ceremony will be held on 28 November. As the National Youth Service awards seek to recognise all deserving youth nationwide, the department has started mobilising the youth to nominate their projects for the exercise. The awards seek to reward young people who make a difference in their communities in terms of development and empowerment.

The awards are for projects that have been primarily thought, planned and carried out by the youth and also individuals or youth groups whose services and objectives are aimed at youth development.

The theme for this year's awards ceremony is: "Young People's Active Participation in National Development Processes: An imperative".

Entry forms are obtainable from all District Youth offices countrywide. The completed forms should be hand-delivered to the District Youth offices by 25 July, which is the deadline.

Youth Service requires motivated membership, and awards are especially effective in achieving this goal. National recognizance also increases visibility of the programs and projects, helping involve non-profits and stimulate funding. Indirect forms of compensation are pivotal in successful Youth Service Programs, as evidenced by the scholarships and tax credits given to members in countries across the world. Botswana's 5th Annual National Youth Service Awards are an effective example of this strategy for increasing participation.