PHUTHALICHABA'S CEO TAKES LEADERSHIP OF SADC YOUTH COOPERATIVE FEDERATION

Lesotho, through the leadership of NUL Innovation Hub's Mr Tebello Tjapela, has taken the Chairmanship of the SADC Youth Cooperative Federation. This is after he and his team, which included other Coop leaders from the NUL Innovation Hub; 'Makuena Lesiea and Retšepile Matamane, put a great performance at the recently held Cooperative Summit in Eswatini.

Mr Tjapela is the CEO of Phuthalichaba Savings and Credit Cooperative which is incubated under the NUL Innovation Hub (Join Phuthalichaba here: www.phuthalichaba.com/register).

The countries represented by their youth under this federation included:

1. Botswana

2. Lesotho

3. Eswatini

4. Malawi

5. Zambia

6. South Africa

7. Zimbabwe

8. Mozambique

After a sterling performance of the Lesotho team led by Mr Tjapela at the event called SADC Youth Cooperatives Summit held in Esibayeni Hotel in Eswatini, he was unanimously elected the chairperson of the committee of the Federation, marking a big win for Lesotho. "By so doing," said an elated official from the Department of Cooperatives, "the countries present declared their confidence that Lesotho could provide a direction for other SADC countries to follow. For a small country like ours, that is no small feat."

As if that was not enough, Ms 'Makuena Lesiea, who leads the formation of another game-changing Cooperative under the NUL Innovation Hub, MILCO (Made In Lesotho CO-operative, a retail chainstore that will sell ONLY Lesotho products and services), was selected to represent Lesotho on the organization's board.

(Join Milco here: Join Milco here

https://www.facebook.com/847853251970285/posts/4624535400968699/)

The team also included Mr Retšepile Matamane, who is the CEO of the Tholoana Orchard Society, a coop under the NUL Innovation Hub, that is set to grow fruit trees all around Lesotho (Join the Orchard Society here: www.tholoanaorchards.co.ls/register).

In honoring the team, the Minister of Small Businesses, Honourable Machesetsa Mofomobe, whose Ministry sponsored the young pioneers to share ideas with their SADC counterparts, said it was the responsibility of the Government to ensure it created a level playing field for the private sector to thrive and create jobs.

Congratulations to the team!