By Newman Anthony Levey in Bo
As Sierra Leone joins other countries to commemorate the International Youth Day, the Ministry of Youth Affairs has begun the review process of the National Youth Policy.
The review process started on Wednesday, August 12 in Bo with a discussion which brought together youth representatives from the four districts in the southern region: Bo, Moyamba, Pujehun and Bonthe.
Officials say similar sessions on the draft youth Policy 2020
will be held in other regions of the country.
In his statement at the event in Bo, the Minister of Youth Affairs, Mohamed Orman Bangura, said that the need to review the existing National Youth Policy was long overdue.
"The National Youth Policy has expired long ago and it was time to review it," he said.
He noted that youths in every parts of the country have different things that they need to be addressed, adding that it’s an opportunity for them to come forward and look at the draft document and offer their own inputs.
The Minister went on to note that his Ministry was very much aware of the rapid change in technological development in the everyday lives of young people and the world at large and therefore, he said, his ministry has also been working in that regard so as not to be left behind this technological journey.
"Creativity and innovation are the footprints of young people. My Ministry has developed interactive App to foster better and closer interactions among young people and between young people and the Ministry and its constituents cannot be left out in the fourth industrial revolution. Take advantage of it and be counted," the Minister said.
The Minister went on to note that Innovation, Technical training centers, amongst others, were critical components in the draft policy.
He assured that the New Policy, when completed, would be good for all youths in the country.
Minister Bangura noted that what they were doing was in line with the developmental drive of President Julius Maada Bio, vis-à-vis the development and empowerment of youth, pointing out that the appointment of young people into public offices was a demonstration of the commitments.
In his statement, the Executive Director of Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link, Habib T. Kamara, asked the Ministry of youth to legislate a national drug policy, noting that it was the youths who are highly engaged in taken drugs which has contributed negatively to their growth and development. Kamara added that youths who are involved in criminal activities are mostly those on harmful drugs.
"Let the Ministry of Youth Affairs move round the Ghettos and move the youths away from there. Some youths are useful and they can also contribute to the development of the country. As a nation, we have to change the negative mindsets of youths," Kamara said.
School going pupils who were also part of the ceremony made inputs to the discourse as to what interests them.
"I want the new youth policy to have a forum to educate and put skills in youth as there are a lot of youths out there who do not have skills, creativity and livelihood. So I want the validation to capture that," Joseph Amara, an SSS3 pupil at the Bo Government School, said.
The validation exercise of the policy will continue in Kenema, Makeni and other areas across the country.
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