Some young people are actively pursuing diverse income initiatives to mitigate the impact of rising cost-of-living hardships.

At the International University of Management (IUM) Nkurenkuru campus, student Ncame Andreas has ventured into horticulture, which helps him earn a living and make ends meet.

Andreas told MICT that he started the horticulture project with his three sisters four months ago to help mitigate financial constraints within their household.

Although the project has created self-employment for the student, he said he continues to face several challenges in the process.

"The challenges since we started: people have started stealing our things, tomatoes, and maize. Theft is one of the challenges. The other challenges are fetching water from the river, starting from the river, to bring it here. It's hard."

A local farmer in the Kavango West Region, Thomas Ndjwaki, who is mentoring the student, encouraged young people to follow Andreas' example. 

He also appealed to elders to support youth who are striving to improve their living standards by providing mentorship, resources, and opportunities for skill development.