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Welcome to Promote Africa
Issues We Face - Community Development

Our community development organ, The Namibian Community Skills Development Foundation (COSDEF), is Namibia's principle provider of out-of-school vocational training at the community level. Unemployment in urban areas of Namibia has increased rapidly over the past decade. Obtaining a junior/senior secondary education certificate alone does not guarantee any economic return to Namibia's youth unless it is accompanied by a relevant skill set. With a national tenth grade attrition rate of nearly 50%, this situation is becoming more apparent every year, as thousands of youth roam the streets searching for employment.

At present, the formal education system in Namibia, except for a very small number of technical secondary schools, concentrates on the attainment of academic standards with limited opportunities for skills-based vocational training. Unfortunately, this approach makes the system far too selective. Those students who are successful at the Grade 10 level are able to consider progressing to Grade 11 in the formal system or can choose to apply for the limited number of places available at the Vocational Training Centers (VTC). Those unfortunate ones (who are not successful enough to continue in the formal system), can opt to further their secondary education through the non-formal education system or face the end of their personal educational path and the likelihood of joining Namibia’s unemployed.

COSDEF has made tremendous strides in assisting many of these youth to complete their vocational and skills training at various COSDEF centers. Most of the courses offered by other institutions are academic in nature and do not represent all of the country’s economic opportunities. They often fail to identify the needs and capabilities of out-of-school and unemployed youth, and to relate to the communities’ overall development in general.

In view of this, the Namibia Community Skills Development Foundation realized the need to introduce training programs aimed at enhancing employment (particularly self-employment) opportunities for adults and out-of-school youth, as well as upgrading the skills of employed adults and youth. COSDEF also realized the need to partner with service providers, which have a track record in skills training as well as experience in working with the community and the unemployed. As a new service provider, Promote Africa recruits and provides qualified international personnel to complete annual training internships with COSDEF to train qualified Namibian instructors.

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