Global Shapers and United Nations collaborate

Global Shapers Windhoek Hub is a group of young, dynamic individuals who are making an impact in their community through social projects to enhance and brighten lives in and around Windhoek.
Michelline Nawatises
Monique Adams

Following the announcement of the open call for participants at the beginning of March, the closing date for applications of the first cohort programme for 2021 is 19 March 2021.

The two-month course on career readiness invites unemployed university or college graduates. It aims to up-skill young people for the job market or to start their own business ventures. Only 20 individuals will be selected for the first round running from April to May 2021.

Global Shapers was born out of the World Economic Forum and is based in 150 countries. The Windhoek Hub aims to empower Namibian youth through programmes such as the ShapeSkills initiative.

This project is designed to give participants support in their professional endeavours and focuses on the following modules: communications, marketing and diplomacy, project management, entrepreneurship, IT and web design.

“We want to grow the ShapeSkills project and make it a home for Namibian talent. With the United Nations next to us, we want to spearhead the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals and support Namibian youth to live prosperous lives,” says Mpho Katjiuongua, the project lead on the ShapeSkills programme and an active Global Shaper since 2018.

Anthea Basson, who is the head of the United Nations Information Centre in Windhoek, is spearheading the project for the United Nations in Namibia.

“The United Nations recognises the role of young people to make an active role in shaping the future. The collaboration with the Global Shapers Windhoek Hub sets out ways to maximise the demographic dividend in Namibia and contribute positively to the country’s road to recovery,” she says.