LAHORE: A five-year project aimed at economically empowering youth by providing sustainable livelihoods to 17,000 young people in district Layyah was launched at a local hotel the other day.
The event was organised by BARGAD – the organisation for youth development, with support from Oxfam in Pakistan.
Addressing parliamentarians, policymakers, government officials, private sector, members of the civil society, academia and youth from Layyah and Lahore at the event, Minister of Youth, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department Jahangir Khanzada said that youth require special programmes and opportunities. Empower youth for work a multi-country project designed to economically empower young people from disaster prone communities in district Layyah in Punjab and district Jamshoroin Sindh is providing them with the opportunities to secure sustainable livelihood.
Under the project, BARGAD, Oxfam’s implementing partner in district Layyah, will be providing entrepreneurship and skill-based training as well as access to finance to 17,000 young people, of whom 70 per cent are girls between the ages of 15 and 24.
Discussing the role of young people in Pakistan’s development, Mohammad Qazilbash, Country Director of Oxfam in Pakistan said, “While four million young people enter workforce every year in Pakistan, an estimated 60 pertcent of them are employed in low-paid and unstable jobs. Youth is the energy that will determine the direction Pakistan will take. It is imperative that the young people feel empowered to be able to influence the decisions that affect their lives while assuming their responsibilities as active citizens.” He assured the audience that Oxfam will continue to prioritize supporting young people particular young girls in becoming leaders and to ensuring that their roles in Pakistan’s society and the economy are adequately valued and recognized.
Under Empower Youth for Work project, a rural hub will be formed in Layyah, liaising youth with formal and informal job markets, multinational companies, Small and Medium Enterprises, Business Development Support Providers and
private sector organisations.
Chief Coordinator, Prime Minister Youth Programme Makhdum Adeel-ur-Rehman appreciated project goals and further advised youth to not only benefit from opportunities presented through the project but also explore new horizons of economic development which ultimately lead to strengthen the economy of Pakistan.
Senior Member Special Monitoring Unit, Government of Punjab Salman Sufi said it was encouraging to see how through this project young people especially young women residing in the rural areas of district Layyah will be empowered through entrepreneurial skills education to earn sustainable livelihood.
Secretary Youth Affairs, Sports, Archeology and Tourism Department Nayyar Iqbal appreciated the project and mentioned that it is need of the hour that youth is introduced in the job market and new opportunities are createdto economically develop youth of Layyah.
In her closing remarks, SabihaShaheen, Executive Director, Bargad, thanked all participants and reflected on how the project will open up new doors of success for youth in Layyah.
