Three hundred Namibian youth are set to benefit from a pilot project in charcoal production by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service. The initiative was launched in 2020 with 55 youth but did not take off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service, Emma Kantema-Gaomas told Nampa that the ministry plans to continue with that programme, but with more youth. She added that the project is the result of the youth ministry, along with the Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development, identifying opportunities that contribute to youth self-employment in the agriculture sector. The pilot phase will create employment opportunities for the 300 youth who will undergo two types of training, namely civic training to instil discipline, a sense of responsibility and ownership, as well as harvesting charcoal and charcoal making. The project will be launched in early April 2022 at Farm Gemsbokpan at Rietfontein and at the John Pandeni Agricultural Centre in Grootfontein.