Youth leaders under their umbrella body, the National Youth Council (NYC) have been asked to inculcate a system of values among fellow youth to achieve a resourceful population.
This call was made by the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, while meeting the NYC team led by their Chairperson, Jacob Eyeru.
The meeting was aimed at discussing issues affecting the operations of the Council and ways of fostering a close working relationship with Parliament.
Oulanyah said that youth leaders have to overcome the prevailing reputation set by previous governing bodies of youth institutions.
He pointed out that this has been manifested in the lack of passion and the death of the spirit of voluntarism affecting the youth movement in the modern day.
“Many young people focus on gain for everything they do and are all up to the highest bidder which kills their validity,” Oulanyah said adding that, ‘back in the day as youth, they were driven by a passion to serve and deliver with minimal resources’.
He added that this makes those in charge of resources suspicious of the youth and reluctant to support youth movements.
Oulanyah asked the leaders to propagate voluntarism, commitment and value systems amongst the youth in order for them to be grounded and driven.
“We need you, the youth, to know that there are no shortcuts in progress and never to despise the days of humble beginnings because they help develop a deep character,” he added.
The Speaker additionally instructed the youth leaders to create a network that is deeply rooted and in touch with all the people they represent.
“You cannot control and manage what you do not know; you need to be in touch with all the people you govern especially with those in leadership positions below you,” he added.
He said that monetary support will be given to them if they show that they are worthy of it by their deeds.
The NYC Chairperson, Eyeru called for a close partnership with Parliament and its support in the increment of funding for them.
“We have a big young population that is not interacting with leaders of the country and that is something we want to change for the purpose of inspiration,” he said.
Eyeru added that some critical activities of NYC are crippled by limited funding like the Annual Youth Delegates Conference that is mandated by law to be held. He said they need Shs1 billion to host the event.
“For the last eight years, we have not had enough money to finance the Youth Delegates Conference depending on various government programmes and the mercy of the President which is not sustainable,” he said.
He also asked the Speaker to support the operationalisation of the NYC Act in terms of district secretariats for youth councils that also faces funding challenges.
The Speaker guided the NYC to engage the central government on the matter of the supplementary budget for orientation of new youth leaders and further promised to offer support on matters of funding.
