Youth representatives from different parts of the country have been challenged to take the lead and champion the delivery of good service both in public and private spheres.

The call was made yesterday during a coordination meeting that brought together youths representing different constituencies right from the grassroots.

Among the entities represented imcluded the National Youth Council (NYC) and instutions of higher learning through their student' guild organs.

The meeting had convened over 800 youth representatives to evaluate their performance contracts as signed during previous gathering, and gearing up for yet another meet, dubbed ‘Youth Connekt’ come July.

Several speakers, including legislators and officials from different public institutions challenged the young leaders to be agents of positive change in as far as service delivery is concerned.

Antoine Ruburikan the head of good governance at Rwanda Governance Board told the youth that it was incumbent upon them to ensure the required services in their places of influence are diligently given to the citizenry.

"You are the leaders of today and tomorrow, you are supposed to take lead in changing the scene of service delivery in your dockets. You need to start from grassroots where you serve,” Ruburika said.

Robert Mwesigwa, the Executive Secretary of NYC challenged the youth to embrace innovation, to be able to change the face of service delivery especially in public institutions.

"As much as we encourage young people to take up roles of leadership, we also ask them to be innovative and ensure better services, using the tools availed to them by national leadership,” Mwesigwa told The New Times in a subsequent interview.

Self evaluation

During the meeting, the youth also came out to acknowledge that there is a feel of dissatisfaction in their role towards national development agenda.

The young leaders said that even though the government has given them lots of opportunities to flourish, some of them have taken them for granted consequently indulging in less or non-productive activities.

They all agreed that they have been blessed with good political leadership and several platforms upon which they ought to jump to take the country’s development agenda to the next level.

However, they haven’t done as much in ensuring that their contribution is so much felt that it can influence good service delivery that has real impact on all citizens.

"I think we are lucky to live in a country like ours which has given immense opportunities to young people.

"A strong foundational has been set by our leaders and it is surely upon us to seize these opportunities and multiply those gains as a way of not only making our current leaders proud, but to sustainably guard our gains for generations to come,” Mwesigwa said.

The young leaders also unanimously called for the sustaining of the current national political leadership, saying that there were many unfinished projects to take the country where it needs to be in terms of development.

They also committed to promote hygiene and combat drug abuse, which has been a major stumbling block to national development.