What challenges do youth in NAR affiliated clubs and associations face?
To find out the challenges among NAR’s youth affiliated clubs, the Executive Director set off to visit NAR affiliated clubs and associations in Musanze and Rubavu Districts. On March 9th, 2019, Dr. Joseph Nkurunziza Ryarasa accompanied by the Youth Coordinator at Never Again Rwanda, Omar Ndizeye set off on a two-hour drive to Musanze. Upon arrival, they were received by 60 youth from AORG Duhozanye, Cyanika youth estimation, Musanze vision youth for peace and Muhoza youth volunteers; all of which are NAR affiliated youth clubs.
NAR’s District Governance Advisor in Musanze, Thierry Ntare Rulinda, while welcoming the ED and the Youth Coordinator, mentioned that the platform was aimed to give the youth a platform to raise their voices and discuss issues hindering their meaningful participation and their personal growth.
Representatives from the four clubs and associations each took turns to discuss some of the challenges that they face. Some of the challenges highlighted include: failure to get jobs due to lack of experience, limited access to finances due to banks not trusting youth with loans, drug abuse, low self confidence, limited and misuse of social media, reluctance to participate in government programs, limited access to higher education, unplanned pregnancies and unemployment among so many others.
Regardless of the impediments, the youth expressed awareness of some of the existing opportunities they can seize to solve these challenges. The opportunities mentioned included: a peaceful and secure country, existing platforms for youth voices to be heard, a government that aims at unity and equality, and the Business Development Fund (BDF) that helps youth with their income generating projects.
The representatives delved further into how they could use the opportunities they highlighted as catalysts to solve their challenges. These solutions include; nurturing self-confidence, fighting drug abuse and teenage or unplanned pregnancy, learning to use social media in an effective way, training youth on how to create jobs and consolidating efforts to ensure vision driven youth.
In his keynote remarks, Dr. Nkurunziza urged young people to be critical thinkers in order to make the right decisions and subsequently turn their challenges into future opportunities for a sustainable, peaceful and developed society.
The session in Musanze culminated into a light moment as the youth talked to Dr. Joseph and Omar and on how they can grow their initiatives, how they can touch many lives, how they can impact their fellow youth and how they can contribute to a better future for the generations after them.
The Executive Director and Youth Coordinator then continued to Rubavu district to meet the Never Again youth club there. Before meeting with all the club members, they were treated to a tour of the club’s income generating activity of rearing pigs in the outskirts of the district. While there, the club’s president explained how the income generating activity begun and how successful it has been. Following the visit to the pigsty, Dr. Joseph had a sit down with the club members. It was noted that these youth more or less face the same challenges especially when it comes to unemployment, lack of work experience and teen/unplanned pregnancies.
The Never Again youth club members also identified the opportunities for building peace, which the ED later emphasized in his keynote speech by urging them to use their talents to create positive change. He also called on them to join leadership positions at universities and grassroots level, so they can become beacons of hope to their fellow youth.