By Nakabale Patrick
The youths are one of the marginalized groups faced with a number of challenges including low education levels, poor social support networks, low income and social status, restricted access to health services, poor health practices, relatively under employed, low enterprising ideas with very limited resources. With such grounds, number of youths resort to peer talking, criminal activities, among others.
It’s notable that uniting the youths of Uganda is a paramount drive to foster body building of the youths, empowering, developing, transforming them for future country resources benefits. Avenues that unite the youths include sports, cultural galas, education instititutions,religious institutions and political organizations/associations,entertainment,seminars,workshops,debating clubs, tours, students leadership, religious fellowships, workers unions at all levels, music galas,etc. The above can play a leading role in bringing the youths together.
In reference to the youth challenges, their is need for a body mandated to identify the opportunities, threats in the external environment of the youths in lieu of the national and individual cause, matching the two with the strength and weaknesses of the youth internal environments. With such information on the youths, the programs one could use to empower, develop and transform them are not limited to;
Creation of information centres, here a holistic sensitization approach to the youths aimed at stimulating both the internal and external assets within the youths and this will lead to exposure as an ingredient to success. Besides the belief that power lies in the mind, so the mind is the vessel to liberate the youths.
Trainings, workshops and collaborative support to the youths. These empowers and develop the youth in life skills in order to uplift their social status at individual level and avert the likelihoods of mis behaviours,safeguarding lives from diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
Re-energizing and strengthening the structures of the youth leadership from National to lower levels. The youths structures though in existence in Uganda, have got little they can offer to the youths and the general community. Here, the youths through better representation not only at the parliamentary level can advance and advocate better youths programs, and strengthening of the youths structures. These will aide the process of youth emancipation. This thus will be effective to steer the youth programs and projects. It will aide in building a network of youth associations and structures worldwide. Its is largely due to better leadership, that effective results can be attained.
Subsidized projects to encourage the youths engage in income generating activities to boost their income and social status. Value added farming i.e. flowers, livestock, poultry, carpentry, brick laying, agriculture for export,etc can support the government and donor efforts to uplift the youths in Uganda and Africa in general.
Promotion of vocational institutions to the low level educated and un-educated youths such that they are transformed into stakeholders of the informal sector leading to a broaden base and employment.
Infrastructural development. Here their should be promotion of youth health practices through routine counseling,saniatary awareness projects, functional Adult literacy programs, recreational facilities, transport and communication.
There is urgent need for both the government and the donors in partnership with the youth leadership to embark on the capacity building and career development programs for the youths in Uganda. If we do not build the capacity of youths and youth leaders, connected to the inadequate career development, less for the youths will be realized.
As youth activist, I believe if the above are put into the consideration by authorities concerned, youths will be able to realize unity, empowerment, development and transformed hence a better social-economical wellbeing.
It should be noted that, through out history it has been the inaction of those who should have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when is mattered most that has made it possible for evil to triumph amongst the youths and the general community the world over.
Mr. Nakabale Patrick is a Youth Activist, Youth Counselor- Central Region and Executive Director of Goodwill Fraternity.
Tel: + 256 712 842 425
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