Junior Mayor of the City of Windhoek, Kovii Kambai, has called for stronger youth participation and practical action on water, sanitation and hygiene in schools and public spaces. 

Kambai made the call during an interview on NBC's Good Morning Namibia programme as Namibia joined the rest of the continent in commemorating the Day of the African Child.

The junior mayor noted that water and sanitation challenges remain a common concern among learners. 

He pointed out that some children still have to fetch water before school, while inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygiene conditions continue to affect learning environments in some schools.

Kambai noted that healthy and dignified environments for children require clean bathrooms, accessible water points, handwashing facilities, soap and other sanitation resources. 

"If you build a tap that one learner cannot reach, then you have already failed the process. And other things include basic access to sanitation like hand sanitisers in schools, soaps in bathrooms and things such as those. Those are the dignified and hygienic environments that a learner my age would describe."

Kambai acknowledged that young people are increasingly being consulted on issues affecting them, including policy reviews and youth-focused initiatives. 

However, he indicated that there is still a need for children and youth to be more actively involved in decision-making processes rather than serving only in advisory capacities.

"Oh, the youth, they are not waiting. For example, the city of Windhoek hosts regular clean-up campaigns, the mayoral clean-up campaigns, and the vast majority of attendees, the people that actually show up to pick up the papers, are the youth. So the youth, we are doing something in the community. In Otjomuise, the high school there, they started a donation club at school where they collect donation goods and offer them to vulnerable children in the streets."

The young leader encouraged policymakers to expand their focus beyond child protection measures and create opportunities that enable young people to develop their skills, participate meaningfully in society and reach their full potential.