The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s (LUCT) public relations class of 2020 will hold the ‘Future entrepreneurs through media’ campaign on Wednesday next week.
The initiative primarily aims to appreciate the media and media practitioners for their good work they do and to foster the links between media houses and entrepreneurs, in a bid to address Lesotho’s economic woes.
Public Relations class of 2020 representative, Sheane Moji, says they have noted that Basotho, especially the youth, are faced with high unemployment because most of them expect to be employed instead of venturing into entrepreneurship.
Moji indicated that encouraging youths to embrace media and go into business was the most effective tool in fighting unemployment in Lesotho.
“Being an entrepreneur does not necessarily mean owning large hypermarkets or supermarkets. You only need any amount of capital to start a business, no matter how modest; that is how entrepreneurship starts.
“Media practitioners are opinion leaders; they have an ability to change public perceptions. If our media, especially the broadcast media through radio programmes, can make an effort to stimulate the youth to go into the business world, it would benefit the entire nation,” Moji said.
Moji disclosed that the event will take the form of a luncheon, and that two representatives from each media house – print, broadcast and digital – have been media invited. They have also invited the Media Institute of Southern Africa’s Lesotho chapter, the Lesotho Communications Authority, as well as commercial banks, ministry of communications, science and technology, and members of the business community.
“With this initiative, we hope play our part to address the country’s economic crisis by generating dialogue between aspiring, up-and-coming and established entrepreneurs, with the help of the media.
“LUCT’s second-year public relations students host such awareness campaigns at the end of each academic year, but this year’s event is different in that it focuses on the media’s role in improving peoples’ lives,” said Moji.
The University was established in 2008 with a view to contributing towards Lesotho Vision 2020 and helping to alleviate poverty and create job opportunities as it offers courses that promote self-help and employment.