It was ululation and joy at the Mmabatho Convention Centre when two young people from the North West Province were presented with national awards at the 5th Biennial National LandCare Conference. Lesego Matloko, a learner from J.M Ntsime Secondary School and Boipelo Muse from Zinniaville Secondary School in Rustenburg were competing against other youths from across the country in five respective categories. The pair held their own and scooped two major awards for Best Poster Presentation and Best Oral Debate respectively.
The two, outperformed their peers in the above mentioned categories that were aiming at stimulating young people to take a lead in the areas of conservation agriculture as well as addressing climate change issues. They each walked away with a national trophy, an I-Pad as well as a certificate.
Accepting the Best Oral Debate Presentation award, Lesego Matloko expressed strong views on why young people need to continuously protect nature as it was important to them, saying “when it comes to nature, young people should be provided with training in natural resource management as that will empower them to know how to manage natural resources for sustainable livelihood.”
Matloko unleashed her debating potential on the topic “A 2 degree celcius in temperature will lead to dramatic changes in patterns of land use,” while Boipelo Muse’s visual communication creativity was acknowledged by the competition’s judges as he presented his poster communicating Conservation agriculture: feeding sub-Saharan Africa’s people.
Congratulating the two, MEC Desbo Mohono of the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said these young people’s achievement is a clear indication that we are heading at the right direction as a Province in so far as luring the youth into the Agricultural sector is concerned, and in particular the land care issues.
“Their presentations demonstrated how well they understand the sensitivity of climate change issues and how they affect all of us. We are very proud of them, and we encourage more youth to come on board and take part in such endeavours because they also help in bolstering their self-confidence, Mohono said.”
Mohono urged them to continue to be the voices of the next generation and build on the legacy of being the national champions. Mohono went on to encourage other schools within the Province to enter such competitions with the view to help unearth and nurture future champions like the two we are currently celebrating, saying in doing so, they must seek guidance from the department’s LandCare coordinators who are found in all the district offices of the department.
On the picture: MEC Mohono presenting an award to Lesego Matloko. In the company of the MEC Mohono is the Acting DDG for DAFF Ms Sebueng Chipeta and Kgosi Mogakolodi Masibi and Kgosi Shole Shole
Enquiries:
Bonolo Mohlakoana
Tel: 018 389 5719 / 5684
Cell: 082 901 2435
Fax: 018 384 4571
E-mail: Bmohlakoana@nwpg.gov.za or mohlakoana.bonolo@gmail.com
Junior Landcare learners bags two National Awards
Province
