More than 500 young people from the Kavango West Region have been recruited as casual workers to clear a 20-hectare plot belonging to the Ministry of Sport, Youth, and National Services (MSYNS) at Nkurenkuru.

Kavango West remains the only region without proper sports facilities.

That is about to change as the Ministry will soon start with the development of a stadium, to be followed by a multi-purpose youth centre.

Regional Youth Officer Anna-Marie Kasela says the Ministry decided to ensure local youth are employed in contributing to the process.

"We thought they could do the work themselves, and in the end, we will bring in the bulldozers to finish up the work because of the unemployment rate. They will be able to get something out of this and then at least buy soap, buy food, or some can start small businesses, so we just wanted to empower them economically."

Kasela says the high number of unemployed youth is of great concern, and he called on other ministries to equally afford unskilled young people opportunities to earn through gainful employment where these arise.

"I will urge other stakeholders to please consider the young people because the young people are the ones who need this money. I am not saying only the young people, but the young people are the ones indulging in so many harmful practices. If we give them this opportunity, they will then be able to start up businesses to keep themselves busy."

The casual workers will work in intervals up to the 23rd of June, with earthwork done by machines to follow.

The Ministry has provided N$10 million for the construction of a football pitch as well as netball and volleyball courts.