President Daniel Chapo said on Monday that young people are Mozambique’s greatest asset and most valuable strategic resource, as he officially opened the 9th National Youth Conference in Pemba, held under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”
“The greatest asset and most valuable strategic resource of Mozambique is called youth,” the Head of State said in his opening speech at the conference, which brings together young people from different parts of the country to discuss challenges and opportunities.
During the conference, Daniel Chapo announced the launch of ProJovem, a programme that will replace the Youth Initiatives Support Fund (FAIJ). The new mechanism is expected to cover all districts across the country, following an approach similar to that of the Local Economic Development Fund (FDEL) and ProMulher.
The FAIJ had faced criticism over delays in the disbursement of funds, lack of transparency, discrimination in access and excessive bureaucracy. Through ProJovem, the Government intends to expand support for youth initiatives and facilitate access to financing opportunities.
The President also announced the doubling, later this year, of the value of the Programme Contract with the National Youth Council (CNJ), as part of measures aimed at strengthening youth participation and support for youth organisations.
Ongoing Youth Programmes
In his address, Chapo also highlighted several government programmes that directly or indirectly benefit young people. These include FDEL, which allocates 60% of its resources to youth, and Acredita Emprega, which provides 72,000 training opportunities and grants for 14,400 young women.
The Head of State also mentioned the Eu Sou Capaz programme, which is responsible for the distribution of 700,000 school uniforms, as well as the Terra Infra-estruturada programme and the initiative to distribute 20,000 computers to financially disadvantaged university students.
According to the President, these initiatives form part of the Government’s efforts to create better conditions for education and training, employment, entrepreneurship and social participation among Mozambican youth.
Tribute to Young People Fighting Terrorism
During the conference, Daniel Chapo paid special tribute to young members of the Defence and Security Forces who are involved in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado province.
The President praised their contribution to defending Mozambique’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while also calling for national unity.
“What unites us must always be greater than what separates us,” he said.
The 9th National Youth Conference seeks to provide a platform for dialogue on the main challenges facing young people and ways to strengthen their participation in Mozambique’s economic and social development. (Mozanorte)
0 Comments