European Union fund capacity building training for youths in East Sepik Province

Gender equality, women’s empowerment and youth inclusion are core development objectives, fundamental for the realization of human rights and key to effective and sustainable development outcomes.

No society can thrive without providing equitable opportunities, resources, and life prospects for males and females as well as for youth so that they can shape their own lives and contribute to their families and communities.

With these thoughts to mainstream gender perspectives and youth inclusion in Agri-food value chain, the European Union funded “EU-STREIT PNG” program that is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOUN).

The program was contacted by East Sepik Provincial Division of Community Development -Youth Desk for assistance as there is no formal youth platform in place to coordinate youth agriculture programs in the province.

This support includes planning and piloting a three-day leadership capacity building session with youth representatives from the six districts in the province.

The objective of workshop is to build the capacity of the youths in leadership skills as part of the road map for the establishment of youth councils platform.

The National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) was invited to participate hence providing an opportunity for the Programs & Extension Services Director to attend the program and highlight the processes to establish youth councils within the province.

About 35 youth farmers from the 6 districts participated and under the guidance of ComDev, Maprik CDO, learnt about NYDA, the importance of setting up youth councils and the processes involved.

The EU-STREIT Program emphasized the importance of gender inclusion in value chain and agro-business including communication, leadership values and ethics.

The workshop ignited the youth representatives to form the “East Sepik Youth Council Establishment Working Committee” and the TOR for the committee to mobilize resources and youth at the LLGs and support NYDA in its network of activity-based youth groups to establish the youth councils.

The working Committee has fair representation from all districts inclusive of young women.

The Community Development Advisor is the chairperson responsible for guiding the activities of the committee to assist NYDA conduct programs towards the establishment of youth council in the province.