By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of their efforts to bring young people together and provide opportunities to speak with one voice on issues affecting them in the country, the Patriotic Empowerment Network Sierra Leone (PEN-SiL), a youth led organization, has on Tuesday 25th August, 2020 held its National Youth Engagement at the UMC Compound in Moyamba District.
In his address, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PEN-SiL, Buya Nabie Bangura, said the youth engagement session in Moyamba was a continuation of the 15 days youth engagement that was launched on Saturday 15th August 2020 on the theme: “Changing Mindsets, Roles of Young People for the Good We Want” at a ceremony held at the National Youth Commission Conference Hall, Siaka Stevens Stadium in Freetown.
He also noted that the importance of the national youth engagement which is meant to bring young people together and provide opportunities so that they can have one voice on issues affecting them in the country.
Buya Nabie Bangura said as an organization they decided to not only limit the youth engagement to Freetown but rather to decentralize it to other parts of the country.
He encouraged young people to see themselves as change makers and major contributors to nation building saying in that regard they should disassociate themselves from violence.
Buya noted that young people can be compelling agents of change and engaging them in the reform process supports all the goals of youth-centered learning and position them as powerful messengers to share the change story.
He maintained that on the 16th August 2020, they held a youth engagement session in the Western Area Rural District at the Heakam School Hall, Waterloo which was replicated in Moyamba. He added that the youth engagement will be extended to Kailahun, Kenema and Kono districts respectively.
Delivering a statement, the Moyamba Youth Council Chairman, James N. Kowie, expressed appreciation to PEN-SiL for taking the move in order to engage young people in their district on issues affecting them, adding that young people constitute the majority in the country and if more attention is paid to them it will enhance their contributions towards nation building.
He said changing the mindsets of young people is very key towards the development of young people and the country at large as engaging youths in communities also creates a sense of belonging for them, furthering that young people should see themselves as change makers.
James N. Kowie disclosed that youth engagement offers community leaders the expertise and partnership to young people, by helping them fully understand what it is like to grow up in a rapidly changing world further underscoring that youth engagement is important because young people deserve the right to represent their own interests.
He admonished young people to make good use of the engagement session with the strong belief that it will impact them positively maintaining that the Moyamba Youth Council is there for them as young people and they should always ensure that they work with the Council in order to address issues affecting them as young people in that part of the country.
After the statements were made different speakers spoke on different topics like, “Violence and Young People”, “Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Girls”, “Young People & Drug Abuse” and “The Sierra Leone They Want to See”.
Giving their contributions on “Violence and Young People” they said that in order to minimize violence in Moyamba District, Government should establish a youth scheme, youth should be engaged on violence sensitization, provide youth capacity building etc.
On the “Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Girls”, a female participant present said that COVID-19 has negatively impacted them as girls. She added that some of their colleagues have become pregnant during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commenting on “The Sierra Leone They Want to See”, participants disclosed that they want to see a Sierra Leone that is focused on youth development, where the mindsets of young people are changed positively, where young people are included in decision making etc. The event was climaxed by the distribution of certificates to participants.
