Forget white collar jobs, youth told

Rwamagana - Districts leaders have been urged to facilitate the youth in creating jobs instead of being job seekers.Meeting mayors and youth representatives from eastern Province this week, the area governor Odette Uwamariya said the youth possesses talent which must be tapped.She said one of the country’s greatest assets is its youth who possess energy and dynamism to take Rwanda to the next level.Without helping them, she added, the country will never benefit fully from them. “Instead of thinking of a solution, the youth wait for white collar jobs to come. We import labour from neighbouring Provinces and countries, when our youth are idle. It must stop forthwith,” the Governor warned.She challenged youth representatives and Mayors to make sure that the youth are part and parcel of development projects within districts.“There are so many young men and women who loiter around without work...yet, multi-billion agricultural projects in districts remain without manpower. This is a big shame,” she said.Area mayors reiterated the need to address the issue of unemployment of youth in the province, noting that the problem was rooted in community traditions.According to the Mayor of Bugesera District, Western lifestyle has greatly affected African values of work.“We can’t reach greater economic prosperity when the young generation is shying away from agriculture, which is the backbone of our economy,” he observed.The Mayor of Ngoma District, Aphrodise Nambaje criticised parents who leave the duty of child upbringing to other people yet parents play a central role. “Some parents unfortunately nurture their children poorly. To solve the issue we need a holistic approach,” he observed.Fred Kamushana, the youth representative in Nyagatare district challenged the youth to be innovative and competitive in the world.