Young Africa - Namibia
The youth unemployment rate in Namibia is high and there is a huge need for skills training. The Young Africa technical vocational training centre in Otjiwarongo is the greenest of all YA centres, with solar energy, dry plumbing and sustainable buildings. At the centre in Otjiwarongo students learn to deal with the day to day challenges they face and are empowered through green skills training in Solar Technology.
Young Africa Namibia was founded by the Dutch couple Yvette and Dirk Bellens. They handed over management to Olivia Namkomba, who joined Young Africa in 2017 and took over as country director in 2019, where she now leads an ambitious team to bring empowerment to the lives of youth and the local community.
Young Africa Namibia began training and empowering youth in 2014, providing vocational training in solar technology. The first centre was set up in the coastal industrial harbour town, Walvis Bay. In 2015, Young Africa was offered a training location by the Clay House Project in Otjiwarongo, allowing the centre to expand its training courses in green building technologies and to act as the main training centre of Young Africa Nambia. The green skills centre also allows for other demand-driven courses, as shown in the overview below. In 2019 YA Namibia moved its solar technology satellite centre from Walvis Bay to Okahandja. There are plans to expand the centre with other courses as well.
Young Africa Namibia is a healthy space for local youth, with after-school music & arts lessons and fun activities on Saturdays, youth festivals and with an internet cafe for the local community.
Our centre in Namibia has
different departments where we
offer various courses:
- Solar Technology Department
- Facility Maintenance Department
- Welding Department
- Information Technology Department
- Cosmetology Department