Pastor Eddie Letsa, Director of Soul Food Information Communication Technology College, has said the institute has trained about 7,150 youth in ICT education since its inception five years ago.

He said the graduates had learnt skills through practical computer training freely.

Pastor Letsa said this during the 15th graduation ceremony of 635 beneficiaries who underwent the free ICT training.

He said the programme, named: “Free for all,” was an initiative by the Soul Food Ministries International (SFMI).

It is a non-denominational and non-religious training to equip the youth with various information technology programmes like Linux SLED, Novel Network, Hardware, Networking and Cisco certified Network among other.

Pastor Letsa said the decision of the church to offer these courses for free was to contribute to the call made by the government on youth employment.

“This training has made them employable and has positioned them to be self-employed,” he said.

He saidthe institute had introduced Network and information Security as a new course for free.

Pastor Letsa appealed to the government, philanthropists and ICT focused organisations to support the institute, adding that it needed funding to train more youth to make them self-employed to curb increases in social vices.

He appealed to the graduates to apply what they had learnt to improve society and impart other lives.

Pastor Letsa urged them not to rely on government, adding: “Your life belongs to you, and you must drive it yourself.”