Namibia’s Raina wins at Africa Skills Revolution Competition
Thirty-five-year-old Raina Augustus from Namibia is one of ten winners of the Africa Skills Revolution Competition.Raina is the owner of Kalinasho Trading Enterprises cc/ She Farm, which is in the business of providing wholesome, locally sourced food products that nourish both body and soul.
These ten winners from seven countries were announced during the Africa Skills Week in Accra, Ghana, last week. The competition itself ran from 26 August to 26 September and was designed to showcase the transformational role African youth play in driving sustainable development through TVET and skills development across Africa.
Launched on the occasion of the African Union Year for Education 2024, the competition is a key element of the Africa Skills Revolution Initiative, a partnership between AUDA-NEPAD and Humana People to People.
This initiative seeks to reshape perceptions of TVET by showcasing how vocational education equips young Africans with the skills to create lasting change in their communities and tackle local and global challenges. The competition attracted 490 participants from 36 African countries.
The winning projects were evaluated based on passion and ambition, their ability to inspire others and their contributions to economic and social growth.
“We’re incredibly proud of all the participants,” said Luckson Soda, Director of DAPP Zimbabwe, Humana People to People’s delivery body on the ground. “Their projects reflect the creativity and innovation that TVET fosters. These young people are proving that vocational education offers powerful tools for addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Despite the clear benefits that TVET unlocks Africa’s youth potential, it is often misunderstood and undervalued, seen as a secondary option rather than a powerful driver of progress.
Far more than a competition, this initiative represents a transformative movement designed to awaken the potential within Africa’s youth through multiple efforts. These include an advocacy campaign aimed to change perceptions around TVET, and a survey that offers young Africans a platform to voice their vision for the Africa they want.
Recognising TVET as a cornerstone in equipping individuals with essential job-related skills, this initiative is poised to boost Africa's socioeconomic and community development.