The National Youth Council (NYC) Oranjemund Constituency Youth Forum recently launched a five-year strategic plan that will be addressing key issues concerning the youth in the town and country at large.

“The strategic plan aims to provide a better understanding of what needs to be done, have the ideas on paper and find means on how to implement them,” said Nestor Sheimi, the chairperson of the forum.

Key programmes of the plan include the establishment of an employment centre at Oranjemund to achieve zero unemployment in the constituency.

The centre will have three pillars: training and skills development, employment placement and entrepreneur development. 

These ideas were collected during the consultation meeting with the youth.

“Typical challenges include lack of access to land by the youth, high unemployment rate, lack of interest from the youth in politics and lack of positive recreation facilities,” Sheimi told Youth Corner.

He said the plan aims to address issues such as lack of education for the youth in the area, lack of funding for youth projects and other core challenges faced by the region.

The event was attended by a dozen youth as well as the line minister Agnes Tjongarero, NYC executive Sharonice Busch and //Kharas governor Aletha Frederick, who all pledged some funds to the implementation of the plans.

Tjongarero said the aim is to improve the condition of the youth in pursuance to develop their character, intellect and mental resilience that will enable them to prosper in the new competitive global village that people now reside. “Forums must aim to develop the inherent abilities and capabilities of young people both individually and collectively by popularising and advocating the concept of gender equality among the youth. Forums aim to initiate youth development projects, programmes and activities to encourage the active participation of the youth in the process of their empowerment,” stated Tjongarero.

She said these platforms must pursue advocacy role concerning the rights and opportunities for the youth with disabilities and those coming from marginalised groups.

“In light of the recent political landscape that now shapes your town council, let the Oranjemund Youth Forum become the home for all the youth of Oranjemund, where diverging political, cultural, religious and others’ opinions are respected, tolerated and encouraged,” pleaded Tjongarero.

- psiririka@nepc.com.na