IntraHealth Namibia created a platform, "ALIVE Hub," to empower youth in the two Kavango regions with entrepreneurial skills.
 
The hub space serves as a training ground where youngsters can develop innovative ideas, allowing them to establish viable businesses.

General Manager at IntraHealth Namibia, Lavinia Shikongo, says the platform is open to every young person willing to participate.

"Each cohort will be expected to go through the following process to generate entrepreneurial ideas: participants will be exposed to methods of generating innovative and practical ideas that address specific problems and can generate money and be scaled up. Create a minimal viable product (MVP): participants will engage in the process of prototyping products and services, gaining the knowledge and skills to refine and pivot their ideas effectively."

USAID acting country representative Herisse Rockfeler says ALIVE Hubs are expected to play a vital role in addressing high unemployment among young people.

"These centres are not temporary interventions; instead, they are a transformative and lasting investment in the economic and social development of communities."

Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Service, Emma Kantema-Gaomas, said initiatives like ALIVE Hub perfectly align with the national youth policy, which prioritises the empowerment and development of young people.

"By integrating the objectives of the ALIVE Hub with our national youth policy, we are ensuring that our efforts are not just isolated interventions but part of a larger, cohesive strategy to uplift our youth. This initiative will serve as a catalyst for economic empowerment, fostering innovation, and driving the entrepreneurial spirit among our young people."

IntraHealth Namibia hopes to open other hubs in places like Divundu, where the organisation says it already has a private partner willing to support a hub there.