CULTIVATING HOPE: HOW A LEARNERSHIP OPENED NEW PATHS FOR A NORTH- WEST YOUTH

By Nonhlakanipho Masola

• A missed opportunity for university admission became a pathway to practical agricultural training and employment.
• The Dirang Batswana Greenery Project has created 30 jobs while strengthening food security in surrounding communities.
• ⁠Hands-on learning has enabled beneficiaries to apply skills beyond the programme, including starting home food gardens and planning long-term careers in agriculture.

At just 19 years old, Keorapetse Masinya from Senthumole village in the North-West has found purpose, skills and renewed hope through agriculture, an opportunity she once feared had slipped beyond her reach.
After not being accepted into universities where she had applied to study animal farming, Masinya’s aspirations of building a career in agriculture became uncertain. That uncertainty shifted when she came across a learnership opportunity advertised on her local municipality’s social media platforms. The programme was offered through the Dirang Batswana Greenery Project, funded by the National Development Agency (NDA).
“I have always loved agriculture, but I did not know where to start after not getting into university,” she said. “This programme gave me a second chance.”
Masinya is now one of 30 beneficiaries working at the Dirang Batswana Greenery Project in Koster, a community-owned agricultural initiative supported within the Department of Social Development portfolio. Through the one-year learnership, she has gained practical, hands-on experience in farming, ranging from understanding soil types and planting seasons to applying farming techniques she had never been exposed to before.
Her growth has extended beyond the workplace.
“So much has changed,” she shared. “I even started my own small garden at home because of what I have learned here.”
Spanning 8 hectares of farmland, the project has become a critical entry point into the agricultural sector for young people like Masinya. In addition to skills development, the initiative has created 30 active jobs, prioritising youth and women, while strengthening local food security by supplying fresh produce to nearby shops.
Masinya’s journey was highlighted during an oversight visit by the Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe, conducted as part of the Ministerial Outreach Programme in the Bojanala District Municipality. The visit formed part of government’s broader commitment to assessing service delivery, supporting sustainable livelihoods and amplifying community-based development initiatives funded through the NDA.
With her learnership due to conclude in March, Masinya says the experience has fundamentally shaped her future.
“I honestly do not know where I would be without this opportunity,” she said. “I hope the learnership can be renewed because agriculture has truly grown on me. It is no longer just an interest. It is part of my future.”
Her story reflects the power of targeted community investment, where a single opportunity can restore dignity, unlock potential and plant the seeds for lasting transformation.