In the message to mark this year’s youth day, which falls today, Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes SACCORD Executive Director Lee Habasonda says government should not use the youth day to politicize issues but find solutions to problems affecting the youth.
He said a large number of young people have remained unemployed and wallowing in poverty, while government has continued to ignore their plight.
Mr. Habasonda said it was disappointing that the political parties have continued to use the youths to push their dirty agendas through violence.
He adds that the republican president should work to address the challenges facing the young people in the country.
He said President Banda should learn from first republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda who had plans for the youths in the country.
Mr Habasonda noted that if Dr. Kaunda had failed to plan for the young people, the country would have not been where it is today.
QFM
Good advice Rb should seriously look into this issue as most of our supposed to be productive youths just spends most of their time drinking Chibuku and utujijili.:-?
He can only harmmer young girls but not constructive help to them as youths , shame Mr president.
Do the youths need to wait for another ‘Youth Day’, another year for them to know/be told what is being done to alleviate their sufferings?? Why having some ministries when they do not serve the intended purpose? As the saying goes; ‘Imiti Ikula Empanga’. Youths need to be developed at lower echelons/early stage(s). Just like in Information Technology where if you input garbage data, you expect to get garbage information (GIGO). So in short, if these youths are not developed, Zambia will have garbage adults in the near future. I rest my case.
LT why don’t you ask the Minister for Youth to tell us what strategy he has in place for youth of this country at the moment? We should be taking these chaps to task not always waiting for President to address all issues.
Who are the “Youth?” The UN defines them as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24. The World Bank says between 15 and 25 and the Commonwealth, between 15 and 29. Why is an appropriate definition important? Because planning can only be done with the right definition and demographics. In the developed world basic education ends at 16, therefore, all youths have completed basic education. In Zambia, a child who starts school at 10, will be 22 at school leaving time! If such an one, dropped out at grade 7, he would be an ignorant 17 year old! What exactly can one do for this one? How many of such are in Zambia? To help the youth, it MUST be mandatory by law to send ALL children to grade 1 by 6 years of age. School must be compulsory till 18. No selection exams at Grade 7 or 9.
300,000 children were excluded from school by selection exams this year. Divide this number by 40, means we need to build 7500 extra classrooms per year for the next 5 years! This is like building 750 new schools! This is an Herculian task. What I would propose is to simply change the school curriculum in such a way that by grade 6, children who are academically able are allowed to continue on present curriculum while those who are not, are diverted to trades and skills training for the next 3 years. At grades 9 and 12 levels, they would leave mainstream school with a trade and a skill to live on. There would be a fund available for these youths to start up business enterprises such as brick laying, carpentry, farming, plumbing etc. As they go on, further taining would be provided.
We must bear in mind that some of the greates inventions in human history were not made by academics. The steam engine, the rail engine, the electric light bulb and the aeroplane among many, were discovered by poorly educated people. A janitor invented the ‘hoover.’ A wagon driver Otis, inverted the vertical lifting system! It is tinkerers who are thinkers!
Other children could go into dramatic arts and physical sports. You do not need a degree to kick a football. I believe that EVERY child has been given a gift by God to make an impact in their world. We do these youths a diservice when we dress them up in the same uniform (literary and figuratively) and expect them all to excell at the same things. The curriculum MUST change and the future of our youth will be brighter than it is now. Go to the street kids and watch them survive in the city streets, Bear Grylls would be beaten hands down! They, out of necessity have learned through experience what only life can teach you. That inert energy for survival in all of us, can be tapped and brought into practical usefulness for the benefit of the whole.
The Saint – thanks for the definition of “youth” – it has been absued greatly. The UN definition is most appropriate.
Definition of youth has got nothing to do with failure by GRZ to provide for young adults (just to avoid confusion about definition of youth) in form of educaton, employment and about all, giving them hope for the future.
A definition is necessary because you cannot plan for a nebulous entity. That is why we never get right what we do because we lack stats and definitions. A 12 year old grade 7 drop out is not a youth but a child. Every child must get education but not every youth, by UN definition.