CYP Africa Joins forces with Barclays, UNICEF, ILO and the Ministry of Youth in Zambia

To address the above challenge, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Child development (MSYCD) is responsible for the development of out of school youth. The Ministry directly provides and manages Youth Resource Centres, which offer non-formal skills training and entrepreneurship skills to out of school youth. The ministry is currently supporting 16 youth resource centres Zambia wide. To help make these Youth Resource Centres fully operational, the Ministry has brought on board CYP (Commonwealth Youth programme) Africa, Barclays bank Zambia, UNICEF and ILO to help young people achieve a brighter future for themselves and their communities. These organisations have pledged to give financial aid and technical support to help run these Resource Centres. The partnership aims to develop the skills of young people by focusing on opportunities for education, employment, entrepreneurship and enterprise.

To make a real difference to the lives of young people in Zambia requires collaboration: organisations with different areas of expertise have to come together in order to create a web of development opportunities that works and is sustainable. July 11, 2009, CYP Africa hosted an Orientation Workshop for volunteers of Zambia Youth Resource Centre Private Partnership. This workshop brought together professional volunteers from CYP Africa, Barclays Bank Zambia, UNICEF, ILO and Ministry of Sports and Child development (MSYCD). The objective of this meeting was to equip volunteers with basic skills of youth work to further help out of school youths based in these resource centres. They will serve as role models, career counselors and mentors to these young people.

Speaking at this occasion, Ambassador Susan Sikaneta, PS Ministry of Sports and Child development stated that the world looks to the younger generation to bring energy, talent and creativity to economies and build the foundations for growth and development. “It’s indeed gratifying to see so many partners wishing to wishing to invest in young people, I can assure you, your efforts will not go unnoticed.” Ms. Sikaneta called on various stakeholders to create an enabling environment for our youth to be able to fulfil their full individual potential and to make a maximum possible contribution to national development.

In his remarks, Mr. Webster Malido, Barclays Bank Zambia PLC representative – Head of Cooperate Affairs, mentioned that Barclays is happy to invest in young people by providing them with education, opportunities for employment and skills in entrepreneurship – equipping them with the tools they need to achieve a brighter economic future for themselves and their communities. “Today’s youth struggle to find secure and meaningful work opportunities and face high levels of uncertainty and disillusionment. Such partnerships will indeed help disadvantaged young people around the world get the education and skills they need for later life and Barclay’s colleagues have a part to play.” He added.

Commenting on why youths should be groomed, UNICEF representative, Mr. Innocent Mofya urged young people to ensure that their leaders govern them properly and in their best interests as they are agents of change especially in the area of behavioral change. He further stated that Youths play a vital role in the development of a country and they must be properly groomed. Helping young people in excluded communities can deliver real, sustainable change for the young people and their families, empowering them to break free of the poverty cycle.

Volunteers were briefed about the ILO Get Ahead Programme by Ms.Elizabeth Mbeza Simonda. The GET Ahead Resource Kit aims to assist ILO partner organizations in promoting enterprise development among women in poverty who want to start or are already engaged in small-scale business. Ms. Simonda highlighted essential entrepreneurial skills from a gender perspective and emphasized the need for volunteers to acquaint themselves with this tool as It addresses the practical and strategic needs of low-income women in enterprise by strengthening their basic business and people management skills. It shows women how to develop their personal entrepreneurial traits and obtain support through groups, networks and institutions dealing with enterprise development.

CYP’s mission is grounded within a rights-based approach, guided by the realities facing young people in the Commonwealth, and anchored in the belief that young people are an essential resource for sustainable development and poverty eradication. Mr. James Odit, regional Director CYP Africa stated “CYP Africa is fully committed to promoting youth development and is happy to join forces with various stakeholders that share the same belief that young people are an essential resource for sustainable development and poverty eradication. Indeed, any development activity that excludes youths will not achieve sustainable results.”

This partnership is helping young people in excluded communities; it can deliver real, sustainable change for the young people and their families, empowering them to break free of the poverty cycle.