Mebala Youth Studios

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Mebala Youth Studios is a youth-oriented non-governmental organisation (NGO) based at the Lady Masire Youth Centre in Gaborone West, Botswana. It operates across five programme pillars: Youth Entrepreneurship, Creative Skills Development, Human Rights and Community Building, Environmental Sustainability, and Mental Health Advocacy and Sports. As of 2024, the organisation has trained over 6,000 young people, engaged more than 120 employees, volunteers, and interns, hosted over 11,000 masterclass attendees, and maintained a beneficiary base that is 60 percent female.

History

The organisation was originally founded in 2016 as Young Africa Botswana (YAB), affiliated with the international development network Young Africa International (YAI). It operated from the Lady Masire Youth Centre in Gaborone West under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture. During its six-year affiliation with YAI, YAB Delivered programmes in youth mentorship, business training, counselling, mental wellness, and creative industry platforms.

In 2023 the organisation separated from Young Africa International and rebranded as Mebala Youth Studios, becoming an independent Tswana NGO. Board Chairperson Tapiwa Chilume described the transition as a NATURAL evolution driven by market demand, the interests of youth beneficiaries, donor support, and the organisation's own vision for Botswana's future. Young Africa International publicly congratulated the organisation on its independence, acknowledging the growth achieved during the partnership.

Programmes

Mebala Youth Studios delivers free services to youth at its centre, including business consultation, WiFi and workspace access, counselling services, and business masterclasses. Its programming focuses on combining hard and soft skills with social and community engagement across its five pillars. Media productions include the show Friends with Money and Mebala Business broadcast on YTV, as well as the Sechaba! Are You Listening? podcast.

Partnerships and projects

In 2023 Mebala Youth Studios partnered with New Era College of Arts, Science and Technology and the German Embassy to implement the Mebala Goes Green campaign, which involved the installation of solar panels at the Mebala Youth Centre. The project reduced the centre's reliance on the national electricity grid and provided practical hands-on training for engineering students from New Era College. The German Ambassador at the Commissioning ceremony cited the project as an example of fostering sustainable practices at a grassroots level.

Other partnerships have included the US Embassy in Gaborone through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program, the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), and Women in Film Botswana.