By STEVEN ZANDE –
THE Zambians for Empowerment and Development (ZED) has appealed to the Government to consider implementing additional youth empowerment programmes that meet diverse needs of different youth groups in society.
ZED president Fred Mutesa said it was important that the Government implemented policies that catered for educated, uneducated and female and male youths so that every young person was captured in empowerment schemes.
Dr Mutesa said tailor designed youth group programmes would enhance young people’s contribution to national development.
Dr Mutesa said in an interview yesterday that there was need to first understand the real needs of various youths, including youths in rural areas whose challenges varied from those faced by their urban counterparts.
He said understanding issues that affected youths would help the country find innovative solutions to national challenges like early marriages.
The Government had the responsibility to do everything possible to shape the youths into responsible citizens that could contribute effectively to the development of the nation.
Dr Mutesa appealed to youths to embrace responsible behaviour by staying away from vices like substance abuse, crime and accepting to be used as tools of violence by political parties.
He said such vices had potential to destroy lives of youths and further reduce their contribution to national development.
Dr Mutesa said youth empowerment policies and programmes were vital as these were tools which the country could use to build the young people into competent future leaders.
He said as Zambia commemorated youth day yesterday the country should continue to reflect critically reflect on values which being imparted on the youths as this was what would become of future national leaders.
In this regard ZED calls on various Government departments and the private sector to coordinate efforts with a view to forge an integrated approach to youth development for a peaceful and prosperous Zambia.
Youth Day was this year celebrated under the theme ‘Unity and Innovation for a Smart Zambia’.