Stakeholders in Dar deliberate issues affecting youth
STAKEHOLDERS responsible for championing youth development in the country will be meeting in Dar es Salaam on Thursday to deliberate on various issues relating to the empowerment of the group.
Coordinator of the Accelerated Hope and Development for Urban Adolescent (AHADI) programme at the Kibaha Institute of Business, Prof Lemayon Melyoki disclosed this during a media briefing held in Dar es Salaam.
AHADI programme is being implemented by World Vision Tanzania through evidence-based models including Care groups and IMPACT plus club to create a multiplier effect through a peer-to-peer education and behavior approach in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam Regions to raise awareness on issues of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among others.
According to him, the meeting aims to discuss various challenges facing adolescents aged at 15 to 19.
He cited financial independence as among key issues to be discussed.
“A survey carried out by the World Vision in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma discovered that many adolescents, particularly girls, face challenges like early pregnancies due to poverty in their families, thereby ending up entering into ill-fated peoples’ traps to meet their demands,” noted Prof Melyoki.
Thus, he noted that AHADI programme was in line with the National Accelerated Investment Agenda for Adolescent Health and Wellbeing (NAIA_AHW) 2021/22 – 2024/25 which focuses gaps in adolescent health and wellbeing that need to be addressed in the immediate terms.
In this regard, the meeting will attract the participation from government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), vocational training colleges and among others supporting youth interventions.
Prof Melyoki indicated among topics including engagement of youth in the creation of policies, exposing the group to available empowerment opportunities as well as building their capacities and skills to get employment or employ themselves.
He noted that the major objective of the event is to enable the group gain financial independence in smoothly running instead of engaging inappropriate behaviors.
