Written by: Chandrika KC, ESC Intern, VIN
Why Youth Empowerment Matters Today?
Empowering the youth in today’s generation has become an essential part of the communities. It is because the lockdown phase has made everyone less productive, as people now prefer to work less and expect more outcomes. People have become more addicted to their mobile phones than anything else at this time. This is a truly concerning matter.
Reviving Potential Through Empowerment
To prevent losing the people’s capability, empowerment can play a vital role in this matter. Since the youth have been most affected by the lockdown phase, ensuring that they have the opportunity for capacity building should be our priority. Like women’s empowerment, youth empowerment should also be encouraged in Nepal, especially in marginalized communities. The opportunity to build yourself when you want, but couldn’t, is the greatest thing you will get.
Types of Empowerment Activities for Youth
Empowering activities may include skills essential for career development, such as computer training, English language training, driving training, and cosmetology training, among others. Not only these types of hard skills, but also soft skills such as CV writing, public speaking, and leadership training, are also essential for us. Therefore, providing these types of skills can help youth build their capability. Youth should never let go of the opportunities they get.
Volunteer Initiatives Supporting Youth Empowerment
Currently, many organizations are striving to support the youth, just as they do for empowering women. Similarly, the “Volunteer Initiative Nepal” has also initiated a youth empowerment program. They have two worksites, Jitpurphedi and Okhaldhunga. Both have established youth clubs to provide opportunities for the youth. Their main target is to ensure that youth with free time or those who want to learn something can take advantage of this opportunity.
Utilizing your free time to learn something new so that it can benefit you in the future should be the top priority for youngsters. If you want to know these types of skills, the different institutions charge you a high price. However, organizations often provide these types of courses or training at little to no cost, as the instructor will typically be a volunteer. You will also gain a friendly environment as well as a lot of knowledge from them.
Appreciating Non-Profits and Local Support Systems
From a personal point of view, the non-profit organization that helps marginalized communities uplift themselves with the help of volunteers and minimal resources is to be greatly appreciated for their assistance, as not everyone can afford the training. Therefore, a youth club should help the youths, as organizations cannot always look after them; it is not their primary subject of work, as they are only there to support and form a club.
How can a youth empowerment program help the youth?
The initiation of a youth empowerment program in various communities can be a small start, but it will have a significant impact on the future. The youth empowerment program includes workshops, activities, and events that provide knowledge to the youth, demonstrating the benefits of these activities. First of all, if the youths are ready, registration of the club can help them because they can raise funds to organize different programs that can have a positive impact on the community. There is a saying that even the smallest act has a huge impact. So, starting with providing small life skills can benefit a large number of youths who cannot learn due to personal reasons.
Empowered Youth, Empowered Communities
The youth empowerment program is specifically focused on empowering the youth of local communities for a better future for themselves and their communities. We, the youth, are the future of our country; therefore, empowering the youth is essential for the country’s development. Empowering the youth program benefits not only the youth but also contributes to the community. Youth empowerment programs not only involve providing training workshops for the youth, but also involve introducing various programs in communities, groups, and schools initiated by the youth. For example: blood donation programs, community cleaning programs, conducting fun activities in schools, sports programs, etc.
Building Stronger Youth Clubs for Sustainable Impact
Hence, youth empowerment can significantly contribute to the development of local communities. Focusing on strengthening the youth club can help the youth generation of that place to become more independent, as they can look out for themselves.
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