By Lusekero Mhango
Officials working in the Youth Sector in Karonga District have urged Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) to implement more projects to specifically target youths in the district amid concerns over a lack of youth related projects in the district.
The concerns was aired out recently during a district stakeholders youth conference meeting that among others brought together a number of NGO’s and government departments working in the youth sector in the district.
According to Karonga District Youth Officer (DYO) Jessie Wasambo, the lack of youth targeted projects is hindering the development of youths as they are being left behind in developmental activities.
She said, as a result of being sidelined in projects youths are indulging into harmful practices that could bring negative impacts to their lives.
“There are some NGO’s who come with projects and don’t specifically target young people they just say the youths are within their projects but what we want is projects directly targeting youths because a majority of people in this district and the country are youths,” she lamented.
Concurring with the DYO, Aaron Kumwenda a youth in the district, notes that due to failure to include youths among projects has negatively affected youths hence are failing to uplift their lives.
He adds if the youths are to develop and empowered there is need for specific projects that will aim at uplifting the youth’s welfare thereby making them independent and empowered as citizens to contribute to the growth of the country.
However Joseph Sinkala Chief Youth Officer in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Labor and Manpower Development, has urged stakeholders involved in the youth sector to collaborate more among stakeholders to uplift the lives of youths in Karonga.
He said with the coming of decentralization it increases the resource flow to the district there is need for collaboration among agencies.
“If there is no collaboration in the district among stakeholders it means they will not be able to benefit from the resources that come to the district hence in the end youths are the ones that will be missing out,” he explained.
