Mbabane – Twenty young trainees from Eswatini’s Lubombo and Shiselweni regions showcased their culinary talents on Friday at CIT College in Mbabane. Under the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme (EYEP), they prepared cocktails and mocktails for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Henrik Franklin, and his team.
The trainees, five males and fifteen females, are part of an eight-week fully sponsored Artisanal Skills Training Programme focused on catering, cooking, baking, and business management. Selected through an open application process, they aim to turn their new skills into small businesses after completing the course.
This event followed a previous visit in early June when a UNDP technical team, alongside the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and the Eswatini National Youth Council, sampled a lunch prepared by the same group. At that time, they also met another 15 youths training in cell phone repairs. 
EYEP, funded by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development and supported by UNDP, currently trains 90 more young people in sewing, upholstery, and metalwork at the International Youth Fellowship in Manzini.
The programme addresses Eswatini’s high youth unemployment rate of 56% among those aged 15 to 35, as reported in the 2023 Integrated Labour Force Survey.
Mkhulisi Magagula, speaking on behalf of the trainees, thanked UNDP and its partners for the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Some trainees plan to seek employment to raise capital, while others aim to launch their own businesses.
Henrik Franklin said the programme equips young people with skills to compete in the labour market and expressed hope for their future success in the culinary field.
