Youth leadership and youth participation are key in decision-making and development processes.
“May we continue to work together, with all generations, especially with youth in Promoting youth leadership and youth participation this will enable us to achieve the Green skills for youth: Towards a Sustainable world. Youth leave your mark, you are the pillar of the nation”. Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Babati-Manyara, Tanzania. The government has expressed its readiness to continue supporting youth so that they can be part and parcel in building the national economy. The assurance was made yesterday by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament and Coordination), Jenista Mhagama who represented Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa at the launch of the National Youth Week celebrations held at national level in Manyara Region.
The Premier outlined some of the efforts made by the government to support youth economically, such as Building Better Tomorrow Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA), where through the programme more than 800 young people in the country joined the programme. The Premier further directed RCs in the country to create an environment that will enable young people to start small businesses. Referring to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, the PM said Tanzania has a population of 61.7 million people, but among them, 21.3 million are young people, which is equivalent to 34.5% of the total population. For his side, the UNFPA Representative in Tanzania, Mr Mark Bryan Schreiner said youth leadership and youth participation are key in decision making and development process, adding that the fund recognises that when youth are empowered and provided with the right opportunities they are effective drivers of change.
The UN and UNFPA is committed to join the government of Tanzania and young people to celebrates the National Youth Week in Manyara Tanzania. UNFPA champions the rights of young people and works to enable them to fulfill their fullest potential. Girls in particular must be among the new generation of leaders building our sustainable future, as they are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In national commitments to increase green skills, men and boys are more frequently recognized as change agents than are women and girls. As world leaders call for a future of green skills among youth, It is important to consider Girl Power, girls must not be excluded.
Youth leadership and youth participation are key in decision-making and development processes. UNFPA recognizes that youth, when empowered and provided with the right opportunities, are effective drivers of change. Promoting youth leadership and youth participation is key to UNFPA’s work. In collaboration with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and development partners, the UN is supporting youth with access to education, tools, and services and encourages their participation in development processes. In partnership with the Prime Minister’s Office in the Mainland and the Ministry responsible for Youth in Zanzibar, the UN is supporting the development and revision of policies, strategies and frameworks aimed at strengthening the delivery of effective services for youth.
The enabling environment for youth includes support for capacity development in programmes to reach marginalized adolescents and deliver community-based life-skills that promote human rights and gender equality. These programmes support integration of participation, leadership and entrepreneurship to youth groups and youth-led organizations to build capacity to enhance their social-economic development.
Minister of State Prime Minister's Office dealing with Policy, Parliament and Coordination issues Hon. Jenista Mhagama has launched the Manyara Region Investment Guidebook in conjunction with the Youth Week in Babati District in Manyara Region. The guide describes in detail the various economic opportunities available in Manyara Region and the Regional Vision in the area of Investment and Development.
The launch which took place during the National Youth Week 2023 which started on October 8, 2023 is expected to end on October 14, 2023 where it will go in parallel with the Lighting of the National Freedom Torch in the region. Speaking at the launch Minister Mhagama who represented the Prime Minister Hon. Kasim Majaliwa is pleased with the awareness of the Youth as they came out to attend their Week which gives them the opportunity to recognize the various things being done by their peers throughout Tanzania.
"Personally, I am pleased with the awareness of young people as you have shown them and shown your work, I have passed through various stalls and I have seen your handwork and in fact young people are the workforce of our nation," Said Hon Minister Jenista Mhagama.
Minister Mhagama paid tribute to the leaders of Manyara Region led by the Head of the Region Hon. Queen Cuthbert Sendiga for the way they organized themselves to manage and prepare for various government activities including the Youth Week, the National Service to commemorate the life of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
On her part, the Regional Commissioner of Manyara Hon. Queen Cuthbert Sendiga has said that the Manyara region has a very big vision in identifying the opportunities that exist, so it is good that the young people become the front line in taking advantage of those opportunities.
"I thank the entire team of Manyara Region for the good and great work we collaborated on the launch of this GuideBook, we are creating a friendly environment for everyone who wants to invest in our Manyara Region, we have started to announce these opportunities to our young people who flooded into Babati from all over Tanzania, " said Hon. Queen Sendiga, Manyara Regional Commissioner.
The launch has been attended by various leaders of the Government, Party, Institution, and Religion. National Youth Week 2023 coordinated by the Prime Minister's Office - Labour, Youth, Employment and the Disabled with the theme, Green skills for youth: Towards a sustainable world.
The world is embarking on a green transition – a shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly planet, which is critical not only for responding to the global climate crisis, but also for achieving the SDGs. Green skills have high importance for young people. Climate change disproportionately impacts adolescents and youth. It most heavily affects developing countries - many of which have the largest youth populations - such as the United Republic of Tanzania.
“With this in mind, the global theme for International Youth Day this year was Green skills for youth: Towards a sustainable world. It is an excellent theme kwa Sababu Vijana ni muhimu kwa maendeleo ya taifa. This theme recognizes the role of all ages, including young women and young men as essential partners in promoting prosperity and sustainable development”. Said Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania.
The mission of UNFPA is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. This requires and recognizes the importance of investing in youth friendly services and programmes. Some investments by UNFPA, with development partners include: Peer educator programme on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights that reached over 125,000 youth, Establishment of 103 health facilities, UNFPA and partners supported enhanced access to emergency obstetric and newborn care and youth-friendly services and Entrepreneurship, leadership and life skills education to build young people’s capacity, commitment, and confidence, when presented with the opportunity to lead and participate in decision making.
UNFPA recognize the urgency of further investment in youth programming. Almost 50% of Tanzanians are under 18 years and 62% under 25 years old. With this dynamic and growing youth population, we recognize that access to resources for education, employment, and sexual and reproductive health need to be expanded. We must all invest in youth, in order to guarantee rights and choices for all, and enable socio-economic growth.
“Through participation in UNFPA youth programmes I recognize that young people across the United Republic of Tanzania are determined, resourceful and engaged in their communities. We can also see that young people in Tanzania are innovators, changemakers, entrepreneurs and leaders. Youth are taking action to address development challenges, to benefit all generations”. Said Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania.
UNFPA and the UN family emphasis the importance of the Youth Policy as will profoundly affect future generations. The multisectoral nature of the policy lays the foundation for all youth development work and is crucial to address the multi-faceted needs of young people - taking into consideration emerging issues which have direct impact on the welfare of the youth.
The UN stands alongside the Government in the implementation of the policy and reaffirms our commitment to ensure that young people are able to reach their full potential and while strengthening the governments systems and structures and supporting the coordination in all sectors.
On National Youth Week, UNFPA reaffirm our commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - together with youth - and to promote a sustainable and inclusive future.
For further information please contact:
Warren Bright,
Communications Analyst,
United Nations Population Fund,
Tanzania,
Email: bwarren@unfpa.org,
Mobile: +255 764 43 44 45
