A delegation of youths from all the five Regions in Africa are meeting in Kilifi County Kenya to deliberate issues affecting African youths in the continent and give their contributions for constitution of a report on Agenda 2063.
The delegation comprising of youth both men and women , experts from different sectors, women rights organizations plan to come up with framework for transformation which will be passed to policy makers in the continent to implement it for the betterment of the African youths.
The seminar which begun on Monday at Silver Palm Resort in Kilifi was organized by the Young men’s Christian Association (YMCA) African alliance with support and representation from African Union and brought together representatives from Eastern Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa and North Africa.
Organizers launched the fact book which has projections of the African youths in 2063 in their current state of high unemployment rate, health, technological advancements.
The aim of the YMCA Africa alliance is to transform youths from subjects to become citizens.
Agenda 2063 is a strategic framework for the socio economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years which builds on and seeks to accelerate the implementation of past and existing continental initiatives for growth and sustainable development.
Among the past and current initiatives the agenda builds include the Minimum integration program, the program for infrastructural development in Africa, (PIDA), the new partnership for Africa’s development (NEPAD), regional plans and programs and national Plan.
Agenda 2063 is also built on national, regional and continental best practices in its formulation on health, technology, cultural practices among others.
Llyd Muriuki Wamai from the YMCA Africa Alliance said they already launched a fact book on Monday this week which is a report based on research done in Africa on the state of youths.
Speaking during a press conference at the resort,he said the fact book had revealed so many things affecting youths which require to be streamlined to make the continent a better place.
Wamai said their aim is to ensure youth take the lead in innovations as they were the majority in the continent.
“The fact book has revealed that in 2063 one of every four people in the world will be an African, the birthrate is high while some developing countries are controlling their population.
Wamai said they will use organizations such as AU who are the YMCA African alliance strategic partners to push the policy makers adopt the final report which is expected to be out in May this year.
Timothy Nnyuieke Thatchroot from Western Africa one of the participants said the fact book has information researched from over 2000 people in the continent and reveals that a lot of young people are not engaged, , utilized or availing themselves in the political environment.
“Unfortunately to the young people over 70 percent of youth enterprise does not do well,’’ he said.
Seyfalla Machat from Tunisia said the Kiilifi Conference aims at bringing out the voice of the African young people to be in the agenda 2063.
He said the Africa they want in after 50 years must be a major political powerful economy.
“Africa will be more independent, bring solutions to the world, Africa must take politics of leadership,’’ he said.
Katindi Sivi Njonjo from the African Youth Scenarios Kenya who was the facilitate in the conference said apart from unemployment new challenges will emerge as well as new opportunities for youths which they can use to empower themselves.
“We want to help young people see the future, through innovation, it’s the only African solution form the current unemployment problems,’’ she said.
Ms. Alminda Musakura from Rwanda said the solution for all the problems facing youths is to ensure policy makes come up with policies, budget on how to control them from Drugs, crime by focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, to create jobs .