Geoffrey Omara
Lira
The youth in northern Uganda should develop a culture of saving if they are to become economically empowered.
“The biggest challenge for the youth is lack of a saving culture. When they get money, they spend it on alcohol, claiming that the following day will cater for itself,” the youth Member of Parliament for the North, Denis Obua, said.
Hon Obua was speaking to the students of Uganda Technical College (UTC) Lira recently.
Obua wondered how northern Uganda had won five awards from Uganda Breweries for being the best consumers of beer, yet the region is one of the poorest.
Presenting a topic titled; “Breaking the barriers, unleashing young people’s potentials for development,” Obua said young people, who constitute the biggest percentage of Uganda’s population, play a big role in development. However, he noted, they were being under-utilised.
Obua said the youth’s potential for development cannot be fully maximized unless barriers that hinder their development are removed.
These include unemployment, poverty, war and conflict, HIV/AIDS and lack of a strong force that binds them.
He said there was need to re-orient the education system to promote programmes that boost development.
The programmes should also be re-oriented and integrated to break the barriers that hinder the youth’s development.
He commended the government for supporting youth activities, involving them in development activities and giving them leadership positions.
“As youth, we can be politically empowered, but economically, we still face a challenge,” Obua said.
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