FORMER Soviet Union leader and communist Joseph Stalin once said “if you can change the minds of the young generation, you can change the course of a nation”.
It is also often said that youths were the future of tomorrow and they were our future leaders.
For parents and guardians all they want for their children is to finish school and get a job.
Many youths dream to succeed, however, because of unforeseen circumstances, or other logical reasons that dream either remains a dream, or is achieved but at a later stage in life.
On January 2013, statistics revealed that 11,860 youths between the ages of 15-24 are unemployed — the Central Eastern Division recorded 5309, Western 4529 and the North 1799.
That is about a tenth of the country’s population.
No one can deny the fact that every youth, in fact every person is special in their own little ways, with unique talents.
On the road to success, youths must be willing to learn, willing to go the extra hard yards and to sacrifice.
On the other hand youths need motivation, guidance, they need assistance, support and encouragement.
Concerned about the number of unemployed youths, Lami Parish priest Father Beniamino Kaloudau, through the support of retired civil servants, set up an Education Commission to help nurture these youths.
Commission leader and retired teacher Nemani Drova said the “education, employment linkage” is an educational awareness that will look at providing awareness to these youths.
Last week, 60 youths from between the Delainavesi and Naboro corridor attended the launch of this three-year initiative — another shot towards the road to success.
The commission invited officials from the Ministry of Education, University of Fiji, Catholic Education, Matua Program from Nabua Secondary School to speak to the youths on the way forward.
“First we look for bridging courses and after that we look for employment opportunities for them.
“What we would like them to do is because most of them are Catholics, to go to mass every Sunday and use the sacrament of reconciliation or confession to help their spiritual side.
“We will also help them to be more reliable and we will teach them concept like being counter-productive, punctuality, being honest, being reliable because that is basically what employers want,” said Mr Drova.
Mr Drova is hoping that by 2018, all 60 youths would have been able to find suitable employment.
“We will monitor and mentor them. Every second Saturday of the month we will have mass at 7am and then have breakfast together and we will discuss the progress. Come next year, we hope to get them in to attachments. Some of them will be easy, some of them will be challenging.”
This move by the Lami Catholic parishioners, should be commended, may be this is a way forward to reducing our unemployment rate.
Retired professionals have a lot of experience, while I agree you will need to relax and enjoy retirement, I am begging you on behalf of all youths, please share your experience, who knows one of those youths you inspired might just be the future prime minister or the first Fijian to set foot on the moon.
American folk singer, songwriter, musician, and activist Joan Baez summed it up in her song:
“No man is an island,
No man stands alone,
Each man’s joy is joy to me,
Each man’s grief is my own.
We need one another,
So I will defend,
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.”
