The 26th International Youth Day spotlights the significant progress youths are making in the communities they come from and challenges they continue face to bring about the change they desire resulting from social exclusion.
On this International Youth Day 2024, we highlight the need to harness the potential youths wield to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The use of digital technology to achieve sustainable development presents numerous progressive opportunities yet it remains untapped especially in sub-Saharan Africa where access to electricity and internet remains a challenge.
There’s need for social cohesion, young people need to come together, debate real life issues hindering their communities to progress and find solutions. We call on world leaders to invest for impact towards youths needed to create sustainable solutions for some of the world's most pressing big challenges of our time.
As Humana People to People, we believe in starting with people to create the hope they need to believe that they can make a difference to transform their lives. We support young people to have confidence and believe in their potential, influence and skills to contribute positively not only to their own future, but also to younger generations and those around them in their communities. In our 16 Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) colleges we train and support young people to take a lead in carrying out youth-led green initiatives in their local communities to combat climate change and create employment sustainably. Youth are a key force to reckon with in peacebuilding efforts, therefore we engage young people in our education, health, sustainable agriculture and environment as well as community development programmes to take charge of creating peaceful environments, thus making a significant impact towards the health and well-being of a truly functional society.
DAPP Malawi’s long-standing history in training and supporting youths is visible through Mikolongwe Vocational School where more than 14,000 youths have graduated from the school since 1997. The project is centred on equipping youth with relevant vocational skills and knowledge as well as life skills for them to become productive youths, that are able to secure employment or become self-reliant by starting up small scale businesses. The school ensures that competent skills provided are demand driven not only on the job market but in creating sustainable development as well. Through business skills, students are encouraged to start their own small-scale businesses and create jobs for others. The school prioritizes equal training opportunities for both genders thereby reducing the chances of women being left behind from emerging TVET opportunities.
One of our members, HPP Brazil’s Girls of the Future Project contributes to equal educational opportunities for adolescents of African descent from the Castelo Branco neighborhood in Salvador, through training in science, technology, electronics, mathematics and socio-emotional skills, helping them to stay and return to school. The project focuses on girls from vulnerable families with a history of violence and social problems. The teaching approach uses STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education concepts with creative workshops, creative mathematical games, production of robot prototypes, tutorials made from paper clippings and art work. Since 2021 an access of 1,900 youths have graduated from the trainings. This has contributed to sustain efforts to close the digital divide and encourage adolescents to use technology to improve lives in the communities they come from.
In India, the Women Empowerment Through Gender Equality and Livelihood Projects provides skills and confidence to young women from economically disadvantaged families and help them to achieve economic and social independence. Through provision of training facilities exclusively for women, the programme aids them in obtaining skills which lead to good wage and self-employment potential. Some projects empower and motivate the women to discover their interests and launch a business. The women entrepreneurs are involved in conducting market research and liaising with vendors, which builds their communications skills and resilience. In the past two years more 18,000 young women have been supported to improve their lives.
We recognize the potential youth have and the exclusion as well own development barriers they face. It’s not too late to engage youths, it only requires the international community to share synergies with influential forces that makes it possible to create enabling environments for inclusive and meaningful youth participation where their voices can be heard to follow their interests, with the support of adult mentors. We continue to strengthen youth agency that enables youths to contribute positively to their surrounding communities thus paving a way forward towards achieving sustainable development.
