11 Jul 2013

The Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi says government recognises and appreciates youth as stakeholders in the national development agenda.

Speaking at a two-day conference organised by the Centre for Youth of Hope in Francistown on July 11, Mr Masisi said the youth form the majority of the population, hence their needs and interests are taken seriously by the government. “

This is the reason why young people are a national priority as evidenced by initiatives such as Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES), which avails resources and skills to young people for them to be self-sustained,” he said.

He said government interventions, particularly regarding HIV/AIDS, include Wise Up and Youth Counselling On Air (YOCA).

Mr Masisi explained that Wise Up is an internet-based programme that provides a forum where young people make use of modern technology such as social network and cellphones to access information on HIV/AIDS.

Regarding YOCA, young people can interact with experts to address some of their problems that parents or teachers might have missed.

He said without the participation of youth, the national HIV strategic response would be deficient because they are an important partner.

Mr Masisi, who is also Moshupa MP, said the conference marked another milestone in the quest for the nation to seek sustainable and comprehensive treatment, care and support services in a stigma-free environment.

“Hosting this conference sends a clear message that people living with HIV must no longer continue to live in fear or shame,” he said.

The minister said he was pleased that the conference would help define a clear roadmap on how partners could work together to adequately empower young people living with HIV so they can become change agents and positive ambassadors.

“This conference will lay a foundation and give birth to a national coalition of youth living with HIV and with the creation of this network, young people will have a platform to network, share information, skills, and provide a cohesive voice that will help informed output into our national HIV strategic planning process,” he said.

On a different note, Mr Masisi said the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MOESD) recently released a survey report that portrayed young people in a bad light.

He said the survey revealed that 19 per cent of children as young as 13 years reported to have had sexual intercourse and 45 per cent of them reported that they had unprotected sex.

Earlier, the Francistown District AIDS Coordinator, Ms Goabaone Mathumo said the conference was the first national one for youth in Botswana and one of its objectives was to provide an opportunity for young people to participate effectively in the national response of HIV/AIDS.

Ms Mathumo said the conference was also aimed at encouraging youth to be open to learning, sharing ideas, thoughts and network. ENDS