The National Youth Council (NYC) team visited the Tsumkwe Constituency to engage with the youth. The NYC delegation held meetings in Omatako Village and the settlements of Gam and Tsumkwe.
The engagements, organised by NYC Tsumkwe Constituency chairperson Simson Kapembe, were aimed at introducing youth empowerment projects.
Speaking at the meeting, Kapembe noted that Tsumkwe youth do not want to work together, citing an example of the few that showed up at the meeting.
"I invited all the youth through all the platforms to be here today, but they refused to come, and it's only a few that are here, but it's important information to be shared here."
He also added that some youth remain at home because, after receiving training, they are not given equipment to start projects.
During the visit, the NYC Executive Chairperson, Sharonice Busch, encouraged the youth to actively make use of the opportunities available to them.
"We have organisations of government under the ministry that are implementing our youth development policy, which has a 10-year priority to develop our young people. Through our regional structures, which are the 14 youth forums and our 121 constituency youth forums, we are able to support our young people to organise themselves to regional work plans, and our constituency action plans aim at how to look at how to facilitate agencies and opportunities for young people to ensure that they are able to set up initiatives, activities, and programmes that can develop themselves."
Some of the youth who spoke at the meeting highlighted the high levels of alcohol abuse in Tsumkwe. They called for a vocational training centre to be built in Tsumkwe.
There is also a need for a tarred road as well as a need for youth to be assisted with start-up capital to start businesses.
They complained that the youth office is always closed, with only one employee whose duties are not clearly defined.
However, they were encouraged by the development planner at the settlement office, Likoro Masheshe, to visit the office regularly for information, to attend meetings, and to ask for assistance.