The world is inhabited by two sets of people: winners and losers, the Minister for Youth and ICT (MYICT) said, advising Rwandan youth to opt for the former.

Minister Jean-Philbert Nsengimana was addressing a group of youths and Rulindo District residents on Saturday, during the launch of the YouthConnekt Month and Holiday Programme, in the Northern Province’s Rulindo District.

The 2016 YouthConnekt Month and Holiday Programme, according to National Youth Council (NYC), are intended to help the youth make the most of available opportunities in the country.

It was organised under the theme: "Youth, let’s make use of the available opportunities to create jobs.”

The month runs from November 5 to December 9, 2016.

The minister observed that individuals determine their destiny through what they do and how they behave.

He outlined courage, hard work, curiosity, knowledge, and time management among the determinant factors of success. "When they [successful people] think of something profitable, they immediately start implementing it. They are brave, they take risks and are optimistic,” he said.

On the other hand, Minister Nsengimana said, failures are cowards, lazy, oversleep, only do what they are told to do and lack diligence, and have neither aim nor vision.

"They think their future will be determined by others. They do not act fast and are pessimist; they believe in permanent aid, while others (who succeed) prefer partnership, instead,” he said.

"I would, therefore, appeal to you that, as we usher in the YouthConnekt Month, as youth leaders, youth and parents, we should join hands to help the youth adopt success traits,” the Minister advised.

Preventing drug abuse, teenage pregnancies

The Vice Mayor for Social affairs in Rulindo District, Marie Claire Gasanganwa, said drug abuse remains an issue of concern that needs to be addressed as it is mainly to blame for teenage pregnancies.

Some 170 teenage girls were reported to have produced across the district.

According to the Rwanda Demographic Health Survey 2014/2015, about 7.3 per cent of girls in the country start child bearing at between 15 and 19 years of age.

Nsengimana cautioned the youth against drug abuse and reckless sexual behaviors which he said lead to unplanned pregnancies and HIV/AIDS.

Activities on the agenda

The Coordinator of the National Youth Council, Clarisse Uwanyirigira, said, under the Holiday Programme, they are largely training student youths from Primary 4 to Senior 5 every Thursday at the cell level, to love their country, strive for national development, and uphold Rwandan values.

Activities for the YouthConnekt Month will be carried out every Friday of the week, Uwanyirigira said. They include building houses for the vulnerable, orphans and widows, and show the youth the available opportunities that can help them create jobs.

Those opportunities include Kora Wigire job creation programme - which is in line with the government’s target to create 200,000 off-farm jobs every year - and working with financial institutions as well as teaching the youth to embrace a savings culture.

Also, three outstanding youth entrepreneurs with top innovations in each district will be awarded.

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