With support from the Swedish Embassy in Liberia, Action Aid has launched its Global Platform in Gbarnga, Bong County as part of efforts to promote youth empowerment. The Global Youth Platform is now going to serve as a one-stop-shop for the integration of ideas from young people and other local organizations across Bong County.
The platform seeks to also act as a training ground for young people in social advocacy, climate change, and other youth engagement programs.
Speaking recently at the official launch of the Global Platform at its Millionaire Quarter Headquarters in Gbarnga, Action Aid Acting Head of Programs Joseph Madzvamuse called on young people of Bong County to take lead of the facility.
Mr. Madzvamuse highlights the importance of the center, calling on the local authorities in the county to see the center as their own and help encourage the citizenry to get involved in processes that benefit the country positively.
Mr. Madzyamuse says being a global justice federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty reduction, Action Aid will continue to focus on strengthening the knowledge of the poor and marginalized people, especially women and youths as well.
He suggests that youth empowerment can curb the rate of poverty to a large level, adding that “one of the keys to empowering the youth is with skill development. “When a youth is equipped with essential skills, he or she can utilize them to feed, assist others, and even invest for future use,” he says.
Cutting the ribbons to the newly furnished center, Bong County coordinator at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Jutomue Dakar Mulbah thanks Action Aid and partners for the idea of integrating young people under a platform that amplifies their voices to the international community.
He specifically thanks the Swedish government for the support in establishing the center in Gbarnga, committing himself to support the center at all cost.
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“We are very happy to see the implementation of the project and as youth representatives, we will do everything possible to ensure that the necessary supports are given which we believe will help the young people here in Bong County,” Mr. Mulbah says.
“I also want to use the opportunity to encourage my fellow youths to take advantage of the opportunity, even if you have had any training of such, we want you not to feel complacent because there are many opportunities that will be offered here,” he adds. Some of the participants at the training thanked Action Aid for the opportunity and promised to take advantage of it.
Beatrice Flomo and Amos Johnson say they are grateful to Action Aid, and express hope that the organization will extend its activities across Bong County anytime soon in order to help youths that are in the rural parts of the county.
by Joseph Titus Yekeryan in Bong County–Edited by Winston W. Parley
