Orapeleng Nareetsile is the Secretary General for Botswana Youth Cooperative Alliance, BYCA a national youth alliance of Botswana Cooperatives existing as a youth wing under Botswana Cooperative Association (BOCA). He is also Master Minds Producer Cooperative Chairperson, a youth cooperative in Botswana doing Horticulture and the Secretariat of BOLESWA Youth Cooperatives Federation. Mr. Nareetsile has recently been endorsed and nominated into the executive committee of AfriCoop Consortium, a regional non-profit organization based in Nairobi, Kenya, which is involved in cooperative research and extension, cooperative development and capacity building in many countries across Africa. Mr Nareetsile represented Botswana at the ICA Youth network at the General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda 2019 and proposed a thematic committee represented by youth which was adopted. He fully understands the principles & values of Cooperative and have youth participation & engagement at heart.
Mr. Nareetsile strongly advocate for the principle number 5 which highlight the importance of EDUCATION, INFORMATION AND TRAINING of which will be aligned to the transformation pillars which will transform and birth modern Cooperatives especially youth. Youth participation & Involvement in Cooperatives should start with Mindset change; some-thing he has been working on as Chairperson of Master Minds Cooperative by being engaged on empowerment and information sessions, preaching the Cooperative philosophy in Kgotla meetings, rural areas, media outlets, schools to motivate on basis of collaboration and synergies leading to entrepreneurship at Cooperative level.