Pakistan

Samar is an undergraduate Civil Engineering student from National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Pakistan. She has actively participated in community service from her school days; working in various fund raising and relief activities for earthquake & flood affectees and IDPs in Pakistan. She participated in National Meeting of Young Pakistani Leaders on socio-economic development in Pakistan and role of science & technology and is member of the think-tank, Young Pakistani Thinkers.

 

She was nominated as country representative in Commonwealth Youth Programme by the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan and has since represented her country in different CYP initiatives and SAARC Youth Conference for promoting regional harmony.

 

When were you elected as a RYC?

15 August 2010

What are the critical issues facing youth in your country?

The five prominent issues faced by youth in Pakistan are;

·         Issues in education sector (access of education, quality of education etc)

·         Lack of opportunities - unemployment

·         Confused identity

·         Social/Cultural and peer pressure

·         Lack of definite leadership for youth

 

There are secondary issues such as health, involvement of youth in criminal activities, lack of proper guidance and counseling etc. Most of the issues are inter-related as cause and effect.

What policies/initiatives are being put in place to help combat these?

All of these issues are addressed to some extent by the government and other organizations in the country.

National Internship Programme (NIP) is specifically designed for the unemployed youth; serving as a mean for gaining experience and reducing unemployment.  More than 22,000 youth were placed in different Ministries as interns in the year 2009-2010 through this programme.

Youth Parliament of Pakistan and Youth Senate Pakistan give a platform to the Pakistani Youth in raising their voice and training them for community service and becoming future leaders.

Education Sector Reforms (ESR) is introduced to combat the problems in education sector. Teacher training and capacity building programs on govt. and private levels are organized (in certain areas an entrance exam for teachers has been made compulsory for quality assurance of education). As a part of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), the govt. is providing per-child subsidy to private educational centers for the education of rural children (to provide them free of cost education at a regulated minimum level of quality).

A National Youth Policy was approved by the Govt. which identified the issues of youth and their remedial actions. It however has yet to be implemented.

What is your message to the youth of the Commonwealth?

Discipline yourself and your actions and value the time you have.