MBABANE – Founder of Umliba Loyembili Edupreneurs, Nomfundo Sifundza Ngcamphalala, has urged young people and women in rural areas to make use of second chance education, digital skills, and entrepreneurship training to improve their livelihoods.
Ngcamphalala made the remarks following her selection by the United States Embassy in Eswatini to participate in the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP), an exchange programme run by the US Department of State.
She said the experience broadened her knowledge and strengthened her mission of equipping marginalised groups with practical skills. This year’s IVLP focuses on Empowering Youth through Workforce Development and includes visits to schools, businesses, and government institutions in several US cities.
Ngcamphalala shared that her cohort visited Washington D.C. and Salt Lake City in Utah, where they engaged with institutions involved in youth workforce policy and employment programmes.
Through her non-profit organisation Umliba Loyembili Edupreneurs, Ngcamphalala works to bridge the education gap for out-of-school youth and women in under-resourced rural communities by providing training in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics (STEAM), digital literacy, and entrepreneurship.
She said the goal is to ensure young people and women gain relevant skills to thrive in the digital era and contribute to the economy. Ngcamphalala added that the IVLP exposed her to effective funding strategies and international programme models, which she plans to adapt for Eswatini’s local conditions.
She believes that targeted skills programmes can help young people move from learning to earning and reduce unemployment in the country.
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