‘Youths unaware of their guiding policies’

Kasungu-based Good Health Youth Organisation (GHWO) says young people in the district are not aware of policies that guide them and their work.

GHWO executive director Gentry Kamanga said in an interview that this has led to low youth participation in most decision-making structures.

He said many youths do not know what is expected of them in these decision-making structures, hence they are sidelined.

Said Kamanga: “There are gaps in as far as youth participation in development and other decision-making structures [are concerned] mainly because the youth do not know more about what is in policies guiding them.

“There are many policy documents that guide the youth and their work, but if you find out, most of them do not have access to them and do not know what they talk about.”

He said this has prevented young people from participating in decision-making processes fully, hence missing out as older people decide for them.

Kasungu district youth officer James Mathiya said government alone cannot fully disseminate the policies, stressing that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should also play a part.

“Government departments, NGOs and civil society organisations have a role to play to make these policies accessible to the youth. If this is handled by all the sectors then the youth may have these policies easily,” he said. n