International Youth Day celebration in Ethiopia
Young men and women in Ethiopia’s Somali and Oromia Regional states commemorated International Youth Day (IYD) by a variety of events. The commemorations took place from 10th of August till 15th August 2017 in Somali Region’s Jigjiga and Shinile towns as well as Oromia Region’s Shashamane town.
The events consisted of key note addresses by the regional government officials, elders and leaders youth associations. Oromia Regional State’s Youth and Sports Bureau Head and member of the regional cabinet Motuma Temesgen and Oxfam in Ethiopia’s Head of Programmes Mrs. Valeria Bacci are among speakers during the event in Shashamane.
Empowering youth for work is one of the priority areas of Oxfam at global level. Oxfam is working in different countries with the objective of engaging young people especially young women and girls rural areas,” Mrs. Valeria said in her key note speech.
Presentations on illegal migration and drug use, plenary sessions and artistic performances among others were part of the celebrations. Human trafficking and illegal migration are a rampant in EYW project areas. At the event that took place in Jigjiga, Somali Region’s capital, a researcher from Jigjiga University presented a study on the issue.
Young artists of Shashamane town in Oromia Region staged a short play that features human trafficking. Regional officials, youth and women association representatives and elders together voiced the need for empowering the youth during the one day plenary session that took place in Jigjiga town of Somali Regional State on August 10, 2017.
Somali Regions’ Youth and Sport Director Mrs. Misk said,
“International Youth Day remembers us youth’s rights.’’
In her message to the youth the Director emphasized the importance of skills training for young women and men. “Skill is the only tool that goes with you everywhere,’’ she told participants of the celebrations who mostly are youth.
Regional External Resources Coordinator Mr. Abdulahi Wayrah said on occasion that the youth are power of a nation and engine of development, in support of the need for empowering young women and men. He asserted that investing on youth is investing on nation.
Participants applauded Oxfam in Ethiopia’s EYW project interventions that address problems of young people in the three key areas of agency, capacity and skills which were thoroughly discussed during the sessions.
The commemorations are organized by Oxfam in Ethiopia’s Empower Youth for Work (EYW) project, Horn of Africa Voluntary Youth Committee (HAVOYOCO), Rift Valley Children and Women Development Organization (RCWDO) in collaboration with local administrations.
