Theko Tlebere
In Lesotho, we often conflate capacity building with workshops and refreshments. While this statement may be uncomfortable, it encapsulates a painful truth about our current development culture. Frequently, youth empowerment initiatives are reduced to one-day seminars, branded folders, a certificate, a transport refund, and a lunchbox. We celebrate attendance instead of transformation, counting workshops rather than results. In doing so, we fail our young people not due to a lack of potential, but because we are not equipping them with the tools, skills, and systems they need to thrive. This week, I want us to closely look at the term capacity building. The narrative in today’s articles will be about looking beyond just workshops and refreshments, so let's engage.
Academically, capacity building is a much deeper, structured, and long-term process. According to Eade (1997), capacity building is,
Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2009) defines capacity development as “the process through which individuals, organisations, and societies obtain, strengthen, and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve development objectives over time.” These definitions emphasise continuity, structural support, and system-wide empowerment, not an isolated event. Capacity building is not a moment; it is a journey. It is not a certificate; it is competence. It is not motivation alone; it is mastery.
In the context of Lesotho, capacity building must be understood as the intentional, long-term strengthening of knowledge, skills, values, institutions, and opportunities that allow Basotho young people not only to participate in development but to lead it. This means equipping youth with market-relevant education, professional exposure, entrepreneurial readiness, digital literacy, and leadership skills, while simultaneously improving systems across education and labour markets, as well as governance and finance, to absorb and support their growth.
Currently, however, the dominant model is superficial. A young graduate may attend a training session on entrepreneurship but leave with no access to capital, mentorship, or incubation afterwards. A youth-centered organisation could hold a leadership retreat, yet fail to establish the structures necessary for participants to lead. Public programs may passionately advocate for youth empowerment but provide only short-term activities without pathways to employment or enterprise support. Capacity building should not end when the refreshments run out; that is when true learning and impact must begin.
Why does this matter so urgently? Lesotho is a young nation in demographic terms, with over Sixty (60) percent of its population under the age of thirty-five (35). Yet youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, and many highly educated young people face a cycle of joblessness, underemployment, and migration. If we fail to invest in our young people meaningfully, our demographic advantage risks becoming a demographic burden. Countries that harness their youth through sustained human capital development, such as Rwanda, Mauritius, and Botswana, transform potential into productivity. Conversely, those that neglect structured youth development slip into stagnation, social frustration, and economic fragility. Youth capacity building is not merely a development agenda; it is a national competitiveness strategy.
Lesotho cannot afford to remain a country from which the most ambitious young people must migrate to South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the Gulf to realise their growth potential. We cannot continue to train nurses, engineers, economists, and innovators for export while importing the skills we fail to nurture at home. True capacity building means creating an ecosystem where young people can thrive within Lesotho, not escape it. This requires modern education aligned with labor market needs, not outdated curricula; practical digital and technical skills training, not theory-only instruction; mentorship and apprenticeships, not motivational speeches; youth innovation hubs, not token “youth desks”; and sustained enterprise financing, not once-off grants framed as miracles.
It also demands accountability. A society serious about youth development does not celebrate attendance sheets; it measures outcomes. How many trainees secured jobs? How many start-ups survived beyond one year? How many young leaders participated in policy decisions and governance? How many innovative solutions developed by Basotho youth received funding, were adopted, and scaled by the government and the private sector? If we do not measure impact, we cannot claim success. And if we cannot claim success, we must change our approach.
To progress, we need a national shift in mindset. Capacity building must evolve from a donor-driven, event-based ritual to a strategic national program integrated into education, governance, entrepreneurship, and labor systems. It must be budgeted for, institutionalized, monitored, and protected from political cycles. Most importantly, it must be youth-designed and youth-led. The young people of Lesotho do not lack ambition, creativity, or resilience; they lack platforms, resources, and structured support. Give them these, and they will not only uplift themselves, they will uplift communities, industries, and the nation.
Lesotho stands at a generational crossroads. We can continue to admire certificates and celebrate workshops, or we can build genuine capacity that transforms lives and strengthens our economy. We can keep feeding events, or we can choose to nourish minds. We can persist in pretending that progress is happening, or we can produce it. Capacity building is not about refreshments; it is about responsibility. If we treat it as such, we will shift from survival mode to prosperity mode as a nation. The question before us is whether we dare to invest in long-term empowerment instead of short-term optics. Young Basotho are ready. The country must now respond with seriousness, vision, and sustained commitment, not just through water and sandwiches. The future is NOW!
Summary
- In doing so, we fail our young people not due to a lack of potential, but because we are not equipping them with the tools, skills, and systems they need to thrive.
- In the context of Lesotho, capacity building must be understood as the intentional, long-term strengthening of knowledge, skills, values, institutions, and opportunities that allow Basotho young people not only to participate in development but to lead it.
- Lesotho cannot afford to remain a country from which the most ambitious young people must migrate to South Africa, the United Kingdom, or the Gulf to realise their growth potential.
Your Trusted Source for News and Insights in Lesotho!
At Newsday Media, we are passionate about delivering accurate, timely, and engaging news and multimedia content to our diverse audience. Founded with the vision of revolutionizing the media landscape in Lesotho, we have grown into a leading hybrid media company that blends traditional journalism with innovative digital platforms.
