Dalene Kooper

KEETMANSHOOP – The //Kharas governor’s youth desk was officially launched last week, aimed at empowering, supporting and advocating for youth in the region.

Delivering his address, governo Dawid Gertze said his office will be instrumental in answering and working with the launch of the youth desk.

“This is the spirit that we need in the //Kharas region. The idea of the youth desk is much bigger in size and format than what I had initially anticipated,” Gertze said.

He said youth development will remain key to the governor’s office.

“The youth desk will be a dedicated structure that will no longer treat youth matters as an afterthought,” the governor said.

Chairperson of the youth forum in the //Kharas region, Issaskar Tjandero, described the event as a significant step towards placing young people at the centre of development and decision-making in the region.

“This launch is a testament that as young people we are ready to identify challenges within our own communities and solve them, not waiting for outsiders to intervene,” he said.

Tjandero commended the office of the governor and the //Kharas Regional Youth Forum for creating what he called an “official platform” for youth voices to influence regional development. He stressed that rural youth must become a priority in development planning, saying many young people living in remote settlements continue to face exclusion from opportunities concentrated in urban centres.

“For too long, development has been concentrated in urban centres, but the soul of our region lies in its settlements and villages,” Tjandero said.

“We are demanding and implementing systems and programmes that are specifically tailor-made for the needs of young people in rural areas.”

He added that empowerment loses meaning if it does not reach those living furthest from the centre. “Empowerment is not empowerment if it isn’t accessible to those furthest from the centre,” he said.

Tjandero also called for greater recognition of youth work as a professional and essential part of national development rather than a social activity pursued for visibility.

“Professional youth work is a critical engine for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said, adding that youth workers are the “boots on the ground” changing lives in communities. –dkooper@nepc.com.na