• Alhendawi

By MELBOURNE MUSHITU –
THE United Nations (UN) envoy on youth Ahmed Alhendawi has called on youths in Zambia to tackle the challenges of early marriages, violence, unemployment and alcohol abuse to secure a good future for Zambia.
Mr Alhendawi said the future of Zambia was dependent on the youths and that they were the ones that could take the country forward as they were its biggest asset.
He said it was important for young people in Zambia to take ownership of the issues going on around them as they were the hope of the country.
“You should decide to do something for Zambia by taking up the issues going around you. Take action, be responsible and change will come,” Mr Alhendawi said.
He was speaking when he led a UN delegation on a tour of youth empowerment centres in Chongwe District yesterday.
Mr Alhendawi said it was important for youths to lead by example in order for them to lecture others on the dangers of engaging in issues like early marriages and excessive alcohol intake.
The UN was committed to ensuring that youths were empowered and that youths also needed to play a part by making use of the information the UN provided to them.
Mr Alhendawi said the UN was providing information and resources for youths to be empowered and contribute to national development.
He said the only way a youth could make progress was by putting into practice the information given to them, treasuring the resources provided to them and lecturing their fellow youth on dangers of early marriages and excessive alcohol intake
Mr Alhendawi has also called on young people in Zambia to take education and the skills they were learning seriously.
He said education provided young people with knowledge on how to excel and contribute to national development.
Mr Alhendawi has also urged every youth in the country to ensure that they completed their education in order for the country to develop.