WE MUST INCREASE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN ALL SECTORS, PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES

In accordance with the Mo Ibrahim Index, Its projected that in less done three generations, 41% of the world's youths will be African and that by 2035, Africa's labor force will be larger than China's, Lets take a case study of Uganda,
It is estimated to have a total population of 38million Ugandans of which 78% are under the age of 35 years and 50% of Ugandans are under the age of 15 years. However the youths have been left out by both the government and other key stakeholders in the planning and programming processes which directly affect the populace of which almost 80% are young people making all efforts fruitless to address our issues.
The young people are now educated, energetic and innovative however they have been left out and over 90% of youths in Uganda are leaving in absolute poverty and have been left to vices and diseases that have affected us to the nerves. we are the prostitutes, HIV/AIDS victims, we are the thieves, we are drug abusers, rapists and abusers of all kinds of laws but yet the government and key stake holders have again just taken advantage of us, they abuse us sexually, deny us our rights, and think we are incapable, they are plundering all public recourses which would have built us schools, Hospitals and good infrastructure to provide us with basic needs. For example the on going scandal in Uganda in the Office of the prime minister where 100s of billions of donor money have been lost to corruption. We the youths are endangered but yet I know for sure that the future is in the hands of the youths. But this can not be achieved amidst uncontrolled youths pregnancy , HIV/AIDS, Poor health and absolute poverty.
Its upon this background that I call for handover of power to the young people in Uganda let the young people lead innovations and production and we will see development at the fastest rate in Africa..
Close to 40% of youths in Uganda are either semi-skilled or full professionals but yet lie back home idle with nothing to do due to the great levels of unemployment and lack of access to credit facilities in Uganda and yet almost every month, thousands of graduates are injected into the economy to search for Jobs. A lot of critics have already blamed many institutes for creating Job seekers rather than Job creators.
I believe they are absolutely right because for every single Job advertised in the media, over six hundred applicants are received.
There is need for practical skills development and entrepreneurship learning’s and sharing where the governments in Africa must array all their armada towards funding youths innovation and leadership. its no doubt that fifty years from now, we will be the elders in our countries so the earlier we are given the opportunity to plan for our future the better Africa will be by 2062.

The future belongs to the youths.

Thanks
kakaire Wilber

Programe officer ICS/D4L

Restless Development