Maseru, June 01 — The Minister of Gender, Youth and Social Development, Mr. Pitso Lesaoana, US Ambassador to Lesotho and a representative from the Office of the Prime Minister officially launched Sebabatso Youth Training in Maseru on Monday.
The program will use American Corner AI tools to translate products and services for new markets, a critical step towards furthering Basotho entrepreneurial growth.
Mr. Lesaoana said the programme will be very helpful as participants were chosen from previous trainees. He described bringing companies to AI as a good initiative.
He referred to 43,000 jobs mentioned in his previous speech, saying he was referring to Sebabatso trainees and others. He noted that Sebabatso companies have already generated 383 jobs.
“Job creation does not only mean government. It must also come from privately owned companies, and we are working hard to help those companies,” he said.
He added that Sebabatso companies are employing other youth, and stressed that this is not about numbers but creating something concrete. He urged trainees to take the training seriously as it will expand their market.
United States Ambassador, Mr. Thomas R. Hines encouraged Lesotho to position itself as a key player in the growing global artificial intelligence (AI) industry, highlighting the country’s potential to become a hub for AI infrastructure and data centers.
He said Lesotho’s abundant energy resources make it a natural location for data centers that could support the global AI revolution.
Mr. Hines noted that while entrepreneurs are already exploring the use of AI in their businesses, Lesotho has an opportunity to attract world-class data center platforms and secure a place in the global AI value chain.
He said the government, particularly the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development was commended for its vision and partnership in supporting initiatives aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and innovators.
He encouraged participants to fully embrace the training programme by being curious, innovative and willing to experiment with new technologies.
The Embassy reaffirmed its commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies, expressing confidence that the skills gained through the programme would create new business opportunities, careers and long-term economic growth for Basotho.
Press Attaché at the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Thapelo Mabote, said trainees are not doing this only for themselves but for the country at large. He said they are working closely with the Office of the Prime Minister and thanked the Prime Minister for Sebabatso.
“The Prime Minister’s vision is seeing the private sector lead in job creation and opportunities,” he said. He added that they will continue to support young, creative and innovative minds.
The Sebabatso Youth Empowerment Initiative is a flagship program in Lesotho launched by Prime Minister Sam Matekane and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to tackle high youth unemployment.
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