Isata Dem on International Youth Day.

By Alliance for National Transformation

August 12, 2021

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The World youth day is an annual recognition of the role young people play to ensure sustainable solutions to some of the global challenges. It also creates awareness of the opportunities and challenges of the youthful population around the globe. On the 12th of August every year, government officials and organizations engage young people through different activities such as conferences, workshops, and seminars. The theme changes every year to ensure that specific issues are discussed towards a common goal. 

The continent is home to the world's youngest people. Now, young people aged 15 to 24 make up 19.4 percent of the total population, while children under the age of 15 make up nearly 41 percent. In Uganda, youth make up approximately 78% of the population, with about 7.3 million between the ages 15-24. Young people's choices, opportunities, and constraints will continue to play a significant role in shaping Africa's development. The theme for the 2021 International Youth Day is “Transforming Food Systems”. It has been recognized that there is a need for inclusive support mechanisms for youth involvement to enhance collective and individual efforts to restore the planet and protect life while integrating biodiversity in food systems transformation.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly its impact on human health, the environment, and food systems, was one of the issues and priorities raised by young participants at the 2021 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum (EYF). ECOSOC Youth Forum is a platform created for young people to contribute to United Nation’s policy through their ideas, proposed solutions, and innovation. During the 2021 EYF, young participants emphasized the importance of working toward more equitable food systems. They emphasized the need for the youth to make informed food choices by increasing global education on the healthiest and most sustainable options that will benefit individuals and the environment in addition to providing adequate capacity for development in the food system during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This year's International Youth Day aims to provide a platform for young people to continue the momentum from the EYF in the lead-up to the high-level Food Systems Summit through youth education, engagement, innovation, and entrepreneurial solutions. This year, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) will virtually convene International Youth Day in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the Major Group for Children and Youth.

Uganda’s youth are hard pressed – it can often feel like there will be no end to their misfortune. Youth unemployment is at its lowest in years (e.g., since 1999 – World Bank, Statista, Palladium), but it is worth looking into the quality of employment for youth in Uganda. As the youth population continues to grow, we must also consider sustainable ways to meet the challenges that arise. The youth deserve a chance to live in a country that fosters their growth and development.

As the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), we support the youth of Uganda and encourage them to connect with youth across the East African Community, Africa, and the world. Together, we can bring sustainable solutions to Food Systems in our world. We continue to engage the youth, we value their contributions to thought leadership, and we recognize that now is their time. You people are in the majority, and we must work towards a Uganda in which they too feel supported and empowered to thrive.

The National Youth Coordinator for Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is right in saying, “Uganda must now make a choice; either to take the youth bulge as an opportunity to skyrocket the country's productivity by investing in skills and innovation, or to ignore them, watch them waste away, and walk the path of instability and criminality. ANT's choice would be clear. Empower the youth now.”

Contributed by Isata Dem is a Student of International Business and Trade, at the African Leadership University. She is currently on a short internship with the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).