GLORIA KANGWA
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A youth organisation in North-western province has embarked on a project to empower the youth to demand for social justice from the community leadership.
The Youth Alliance for Development (YAD) executive director, Eliack Shikamo, said the aim of the project, which will run from 2018 to 2021, is to promote social justice by making the local leadership accountable to the people.
Mr. Shikamo disclosed this in Solwezi when his organisation hosted a conference for the first ever student council in the province to sensitise them on government operations and how to demand for accountability from the community leadership.
“YAD is a youth serving non-governmental organisation which aspires to promote adolescent and youth skills, leadership development and good governance through making it known to the youth that development can only be attained if they start to demand good governance at a tender age,” Mr. Sikamo said.
According to Mr Shikamo, the Diakonia funded project will work with other local organizations to also set up youth councils in Mushindamo and Kasempa districts. And officiating at the conference, provincial minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, praised YAD for empowering the youth in governance issues.
The minister said that YAD was helping transform the notion that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow to the fact that they are infact leaders of today.
He urged the youth to embrace the challenge of getting involved in leadership at a young age because they are key driver of development.
“You have the future of this country in your hands,” he said.