Minister of Youth and Culture, Rosemary Mbabazi, revealed that the government plans to increase the number of 'Youth friendly centres’ nationwide to enable young people to easily access health-related services.

Minister Mbabazi made the remarks recently during the launch of a renovated Youth-Friendly Centre in Nyamasheke, Western Province.

The centre will focus on availing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) services, as well as mobilising youth to access information in the fight against teen pregnancies, among other challenges they face.

As of today, there are 32 youth friendly centres across the country, which the government seeks to increase.

"We are set to increase the number and bring them down to sector level. We plan to use government owned centres that are available at the moment in accordance with the capacity, but we also encourage youth to use technology since such health information is always accessible on internet," she said.

In her remarks, Minister Mbabazi also encouraged youth to refrain from people who might try ruining their future.

"Learn to say no to temptation and have ambitions,” she urged.

Youth speak out

Kentine Sibomana, 25, is one of the youth from Nyamasheke requesting for more centres, especially to help their colleagues who lack an education background, to learn more about their health.

"The ones who are learned do not show much interest, but youth who have never been at school are eager to learn about their health from these centres," he said.

Alex Ngendahimana, a business trainer at Nyamasheke Youth friendly centre, said there are a lot of young people coming even from other districts including Kayonza, and that the centre is not enough to accommodate them all.

"When there are more establishments of youth centres, we can receive more beneficiaries. The space is not enough here; sometimes we receive a lot of people and then work from outside,” Ngendahimana said.

According to the Ministry, youth friendly centres are today operating on district level for integrated services dedicated to youth.

In Nyamasheke District, 4000 out of 147,879 youths have passed through the centre, while 142 are still at the centre.