Making strides in empowering the youth

COSDEF is the national umbrella body for the Community Skills Development Centres (COSDECs) and the COSDEF Arts and Crafts Centre. For the past 22 years COSDEF has changing and touching lives in the community affected by poverty.
Mariselle Stofberg
Monique Adams

COSDEF Arts and Crafts Centre Graduation

The 2020 trainee intake graduation took place on 31 March 2021. This was due to the Covid-19 delays and additional time and class being allocated for the trainees into 2021. A total of 32 trainees graduated in the following qualifications:

· Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Level 2 and Level 3

· Leather Craft and Design Level 2

· Fashion Design and Accessories Level 2

· Graphic Design Level 2

· Visual Arts, Craft and Design Level 2

COSDEC Tukurenu success story – Andreas Linyika

In 2012 Andreas Linyika was referred to COSDEC Tukurenu by a local Youth Centre in Rundu. Andreas then applied for the Office Administration and Computing course and was able to start the six months program that same year.

He then earned a COSDEC Certificate in Office Administration and Computing in 2012. His instructor, Ndango Timothy, mentored and provided direction to Andreas throughout the course. Timothy assisted Andreas with securing a job attachment at COSDEC Tukurenu.

In 2013 Andreas was a receptionist and an assistant for the ICT course at COSDEC Tukurenu and the year after he became the ICT trainer and an assistant trainer for the Business Services course.

He earned a Level 3 Certificate in Office Administration and Business Services in 2016. In 2017 he became the temporary Office Administration trainer and obtained a Vocational Education and Training Certificate from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust).

In 2018, he was hired as the Level 2 Office Administration trainer at COSDEC Tukurenu and started studying towards a high certificate in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at Nust, which he completed successfully and has enrolled for the Diploma in TVET. Currently, he is in the final years of the programme. He also obtained his Level 4 Certificate in Office Administration and Business Services in 2021.

Andreas did not know when he started the Offices Administration course in 2012 that through hard work and dedication, he would become an instructor for the same course years later at COSDEC Tukurenu.

“Be patient and serious with whatever you do and be focused. Aim high at whatever institution you are attending, work hard and don’t cut your dreams short,” Andreas says.