(contenu disponible en anglais uniquement)
Nadroga Navosa Youth Visualise their Future
85 young leaders representing 22 Tikinas of the Nadroga Navosa Province had the opportunity to collectively discuss their visions and anticipations for the five years ahead.
The Pacific Community (SPC) through it’s Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) division with funding support from the Government of New Zealand provided technical as well as financial assistance to carry out a weeklong workshop from 5th – 11th April to help develop the draft of the Nadroga Navosa Youth Provincial Council (NNYPC) Strategic Plan.
NNYPC Interim President, Kinivuwai Naba said COVID-19 and the many Tropical Cyclones experienced over the years has hindered the progress of youth development.
He said the strategic plan would give the Council an opportunity to reflect on past successes and failures to determine the roadmap to addressing challenges in the future.
“Our strategies for youth development are not only responses to changing needs but also an active participating agent to drive intellect, social, and economic changes. It aims to enrich and sustain youth livelihood at all from youth individuals to provincial level especially developing self-learning skills and lifelong learning commitment and competencies, Naba added.
The Strategic Plan represents the concerted efforts of 85 young representatives of the 22 Tikina’s of Nadroga Navosa province and a few youth stakeholders.
The Plan is founded on interrelated strategic goals supported by strategies to address the primary priority areas:
1) To build the understanding of NNP youth on the role of the Provincial Youth Council in partnership with other stakeholders in enhancing the social, economic, health, spiritual and psychological development of Nadroga Navosa youth.
2) To build and strengthen working relationships between all the Vanuas and young people of the Nadroga and Navosa Province so that youth voices are heard in village and Tikina decision making processes.
3) Mobilise, empower, and build conditions for the inclusion of Nadroga Navosa Province (NNP) youth of all diversities in the village level and tikina development processes.
4) To obtain youth disaggregated data for Nadroga Navosa Province to inform policies and programming.
The participants also set out strategic course of action and initiatives to address these goals for youth, including provincial oversight & coordination, knowledge creation use and innovation, and strengthening of the Vanua to create pathways for youth engagement within the Vanua.
In addition, other strategic initiatives include creating employment, skills and training pathways for young people using the resources available within the province (land, agriculture, fisheries, cultural industries), capacity building and Strengthening in collaboration with the Vanua, Mataqali, Tokatoka, Provincial Council, government Ministries, Civil Societies, development partners and CROP Agencies and promoting a safe, secure, and a free province for our young people to prosper spiritually, economically, socially and mentally
NNYPC believes the support from SPC’S HRSD and the Vanua were key pillars to the success of the developing the strategic plan.
Naba explained that “The NNPYC hopes for the continuous support from HRSD with implementation of the Strategic Plan upon adoption. We are also thankful to the Vanua for guarding the main training venue day and night. No children or villagers were allowed near the training venue during sessions proceedings. By investing in the future of Young People, we are investing to build a better future start from village, provincial, regional, national and global communities.”
The major outcome of the workshop was the successful drafting of the Nadroga Navosa Provincial Youth Council Strategic Plan 2021 – 2025. The draft of this Strategic Plan is ready and will be validated within this week.
