Arusha marks Youth Day with a call to use social media profitably

ARUSHA: YOUTH in Tanzania have been urged to use social media platforms to learn, create opportunities and nurture their talents instead of using them to compete by portraying lifestyles that do not reflect reality.

 International Youth Day is observed annually on August 12 to highlight issues, challenges and opportunities affecting young people around the world.

As part of the celebrations, Teens Hub Tanzania organised a week-long training programme focusing on leadership, opportunities and ways young people can participate in community development.

Speaking in Arusha, Teens Hub Tanzania Director, Omary Abdallah Mwesongo said the organisation supports young people in areas including mental health, opportunities, innovation and education.

He said improper use of social media could increase stress among young people, particularly when they compare themselves with lifestyles portrayed online.

“Don’t stay online without a purpose because it will trouble you; stay online because it benefits you,” he said.

Mwesongo said social media could be a source of opportunities if young people used it to learn, undertake online training and seek income-generating opportunities.

“Social media is good; it depends on how you use it. If you turn Instagram into a source of income, you will succeed greatly,” he said.

He said another challenge facing young people was lack of opportunities to be heard and understood, with many needing employment, guidance and an enabling environment to become self-employed.

“One of the things affecting us young people is not being listened to and not being understood,” he said.

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Mwesongo said Teens Hub Tanzania had reached more than 50 communities in different parts of the country and more than 1,000 young people through its programmes, including poultry farming and soap-making projects aimed at helping young people access opportunities and become self-employed.

He said the organisation also works with the Government and various stakeholders to empower young people, while running mental health programmes that give them an opportunity to share their challenges and participate in finding solutions.

Mwesongo said Teens Hub Tanzania is headquartered in Arusha and has branches in Mwanza, Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, with plans to open another branch in Morogoro Region soon, as the organisation aims to expand its services to all 30 regions of Tanzania, Mainland and Zanzibar.

He added that the organisation visits primary and secondary schools to provide education on various challenges facing students, including gender-based violence.