In his remarks on International Youth Day, Santino Wol Aguer, Chairperson of Warrap State Youth, highlighted significant challenges facing young people in South Sudan, including a lack of job opportunities and insecurity. Celebrated annually on August 12th, this year’s theme, “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all,” underscores the importance of unity and collective action.
Mr. Wol noted that due to inadequate funding, ongoing insecurity in some areas, and the impacts of flooding, Warrap State will not be holding celebrations for International Youth Day. He emphasized the need for young people to collaborate with the government and local leaders to persuade armed youth to abandon violence and work towards lasting peace.
Encouraging a shift from job-seeking to entrepreneurship, Santino Wol called on the youth to be proactive in creating their own opportunities. He also urged intellectual youth in Warrap to use social media to advocate for peace and educate others in remote areas about the consequences of cattle raiding and revenge killings.
David Lawrence Ambrose, Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the Youths Union in Western Bahr el Ghazal, used the occasion of International Youth Day to urge young people to reflect on their achievements and challenges over the past year. Ambrose emphasized the need for the youth to make new plans and take constructive steps towards sustainable development.
Due to unspecified reasons, the state’s celebration of International Youth Day has been postponed. Ambrose identified unemployment, gang activity, and economic hardship as primary challenges affecting youth in Wau. He encouraged young people to strive for personal improvement despite these difficulties.
Ambrose called on the youth, national and international organizations, and the government to collaborate in identifying and addressing the core issues facing young people.
He stressed the importance of building youth capacity to become job creators and urged them to avoid actions that lead to violence and reduce their numbers in society. South Sudan unemployment rate for 2022 was 12.44%, a 1.85% decline from 2021.