Zim youths urged to take part in development activities
By Dumisani Ndlovu
National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO) has urged Zimbabwean youths to take part in national development programs in a quest to attract youth support and inclusion programmes.
Speaking on the sidelines of the organisation’s newly launched Youth School program in Gweru, on Thursday 16 February, NAYO programmes officer, Mcdonald Munyoro, said young people should actively participate in the country’s socio, economic and political development.
“As we are here today in the Midlands Province, as part of the Youth School. It’s an initiative we are in, in partnership with young people we work with in the Midlands.
The thrust of the school is to help young people to understand the importance of National Development and their participation in issues of national development, he said.
Munyoro said the organisation is deriving the project concept from the African Youth Charter which talks about how member states should be working with young people in their country, “he said urging the government to develop policies to capacitate the youth for inclusive democratic governance.
Some of participants interviewed by Kwedu News gave NAYO a thumbs up, describing the Youth School as a crucial programme reckon in the future.
A participant from Midlands State University, Tanaka Mangachena said he learnt a lot about Constitutionalism.
“I have learnt a lot of relevant staff. This has been something lacking a lot in our spaces. “Especially when it comes to awareness programs that are supposed to give youths enough knowledge to be empowered in order to become active participants,” he said.
Hodzeko Arts and Culture Association, Board member, Siphosami Ndlovu echoed the same sentiments adding that when youths are capacitated, they are able to form a critical mass of co-ordinated youth activists to collectively engage with duty bearers, claim their rights to be included in decision-making processes, demand for youth responsive public services and to influence local and national government policy and practices to address their needs.
There is limited participation of young people in national and local decision-making processes.
Critics argued this negatively impacts the capacity of the youth to constructively engage with policymakers and government decision-makers.
Grace Nyasha Mazambani equally praised NAYO for coming up with such an important and beneficial program.
“We have learnt more about the constitution and the National Development Strategy. It has been a very important workshop whereby as youth, were got to learn more about the constitution especially chapter 20 where we find issues about the youth. We only knew we have a constitution but did not know where youth issues are found, ‘’she said.
“This has been more beneficial to us the youth, more of these should be conducted throughout the city, throughout the province and nationwide. To this end, any programming focusing on increasing meaningful youth participation should focus on not only facilitating for young people to be involved, but rather target their needs” she said.
“So that youth get equipped with pertinent information and get participating in governance issues, so that our voices could be heard and recognised,” he said.
A Media and Society Studies student, Ashley Suruma who also took part, said the program has made him gain knowledge about the issues that pertains to the constitution.
“I was also made familiar about the preamble of the constitution that I did
know,” he said.
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