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Strengthening Youth Development In Africa

3 June 2004

Young James

James Odit, Senior Programme Officer at the CYP Africa Centre

Eight young people from Africa graduated with a Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Diploma in Youth Development Work after successfully completing a distance education course offered by the Namibia College of Open Learning in partnership with the Zimbabwe Open University and CYP.

The graduation ceremony took place at the Rossing Foundation in Windhoek, Namibia, on 15 May 2004. The Diploma in Youth Development Work is one of the programmes implemented by CYP in 13 countries in Africa. It aims to professionalise youth work through formal and informal training programmes. The programme is intergovernmental and involves CYP's collaboration with governments and training institutions.

The graduates were also presented with a CYP award bearing the logo of 14 participating universities across the Commonwealth, signed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon.

Thirty-year-old Frans Maghambayi said: "The programme is unique and has enabled me to carry out my duties effectively and efficiently. I enjoyed the module on entrepreneurship since we are determined to prepare young people in income-generating activities. This course has boosted my morale."

Nghixulifwa Sarty stated that the CYP programme has improved his knowledge and skills in youth development work. "After two years, it has taught me how to work with young people and the community," said 38-year-old Mr Sarty.

Ananias Niizimba, 27, commented: "What I enjoyed most about the CYP course is the professionalism that it has encoded to my work. Youth work has always been my passion and now equipped with the professionalism, I can only hope for better things to come. I would encourage any youth worker to take up this course as it would increase and add value to their youth development work."

James Odit, Senior Programme Officer at the CYP Africa Centre, said: "In our pursuit of empowering young people, we shall continue supporting the delivery of youth work education and training programmes. This will comprise the current Diploma programme where we shall continue paying the fees, providing learning materials as well as revising and developing new materials. All these will be useful in professionalising youth development work."

The CYP Diploma in Youth Development Work is currently being delivered by 26 tertiary institutions to some 2,000 youth workers from 40 Commonwealth countries.


CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 186 2 June 2004

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