About 500 teenagers aged 12-19 years have convened for a one week seminar in Gatunguru Boys' Secondary School aimed at addressing issues affecting them in the community.
Speaking from the main school hall on Tuesday evening during the official opening, the camp manager Joseph Mumu regretted that most teenagers in Mount Kenya region have dropped from school, taking drugs and others being lured into criminal groups rendering their life hopeless.
The teenagers who are expected to present their challenges to the area Member of Parliament on Friday 12th December 2015 are expected to be involved in a mentorship training which will involve growth, democratic rights, spiritual knowledge, relationships and sporting activities.
Mumu who is the deputy children's officer in Gatundu North sub county observed that teenagers in the region have been experiencing and living miserable lives but through such forums they will be able to raise their voices/grievances to the leaders in order to get solutions to their problems.
He said that they will be holding such events every holiday which will be aimed at achieving goals like children knowing their rights and mobilising the community around to be responsible in handling children rights.
"We will also involve elders in this forum and nursery school teachers whose role in bringing up children is very vital," he added.
"We are no longer leaning on traditional beliefs and poor environmental lifestyles which were purported to have been the major counts in violation of your rights," he observed.
Drug abuse, early marriages and pregnancies, defilement, illiteracy and child labour has in the past been considered as the major challenges that leaders and other stakeholders ought to urgently address in order to improve the living standards of the teenagers in the country.