As young people seek to be included in decision-making, Rural Rise Empowerment, through its initiative ‘From the Ground Up’, is tackling the barriers inhibiting youth participation in these processes.
This includes access to economic and social advancement opportunities.
The initiative, which aims to empower rural youth in Namibia, is targeting 200 young people in the Erongo region at its community dialogue scheduled to commence on 29 August in Uis, Utuseb, and Okombahe.
Its founder, Eslien Tsuses said recognising the role of youth in sustainable development is imperative, as the initiative seeks to transform the socio-economic landscape of rural communities by establishing active youth participation and leadership.
“Rural youth in Namibia face numerous challenges that hinder meaningful engagement in policy and development processes. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD 2019), rural young people in developing countries are among the least-engaged in policy-making,” Tsuses said.
She noted that the disengagement is perpetuated by policy frameworks that often have an “urban bias” – neglecting the unique needs and vulnerabilities of rural youth.
Additionally, Tsuses said an adult-centric approach dominates policymaking, viewing youth as passive recipients rather than active contributors to policy design and implementation.
She added that the National Rural Development Policy emphasises the importance of capacity-building for rural populations to express their needs and aspirations.
“It calls for the creation of institutions and platforms that facilitate interaction between rural communities and the government, guiding rural development efforts. The initiative responds to these policy imperatives by creating a structured approach to empower rural youth, and integrate them into the national development agenda,” Tsuses noted.
She said they aim to promote a sense of national identity, unity, and self-respect among Namibia’s rural youth as well as enhance awareness of social, economic, political, educational and cultural issues.
“It is against this background that the policy initiative, ‘From the Ground Up,’ seeks to address these challenges by empowering rural youth to take an active role in shaping their community development agenda,” she said.