Government committed to fostering youth participation- Hon. Minister Bulunga
20 June 2019
The Honourable Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries Bulunga says Government is committed to involving young people in the search for sustainable solutions to the challenges that the youth face.
Bulunga was speaking yesterday during the official opening of the 2019 International Youth Fellowship (IYF) Youth Festival at the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) in Manzini.
The two-day festival is aimed at empowering young people’s minds on a range of issues and will see them partake in a number of activities including mind educational lectures, leadership lectures and mind recreational games.
Making his remarks at the opening ceremony, Bulunga said Government would continue to strive to create an enabling environment for the responsible participation of young people in all sectors affecting their lives.
“As Government, we are cognizant of the challenges faced by our young people including high unemployment rates, HIV and AIDS as well as substance abuse among other challenges. As a Ministry, we have been tasked with finding sustainable solutions to these challenges with the assistance and support of fellow Government Ministries and departments as well as Non-Governmental Organisations. It is our sincere belief that we need to actively involve our youth in the search for solutions to the challenges they face. His Majesty’s Government remains committed to the endeavour of youth development by creating a conducive environment for responsible youth participation across all spheres,” he said.
IYF National Director (Eswatini) David Gang praised the partnership between the Ministry and the IYF.
“We appreciate the support we have received from His Majesty’s Government through the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs. We hope that this festival will be of great benefit to the young people of Eswatini,” he said.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and the IYF was signed in 2017. His Majesty King Mswati III gave the IYF 10 hectors of land in Two Sticks, Manzini, for the construction of a youth centre.