Some fifty people met today in Juba to discuss the findings of a research on the youth in South Sudan carried out by the Population Council.
Researcher Natalie Forcier told the attendants at the workshop that young people in South Sudan constitutes the largest segment of the population: one third is between the ages of 15 to 29.
She said the youth can accelerate development and change and also play a big role in peace building that will shape South Sudan’s future.
GoSS minister of Youth, Sports and Recreation Makuac Teny Yoh said South Sudan youth contributed effectively during the war and they still suffer from its scares.
He added that the Government of South Sudan has a moral responsibility to develop and empower the youth in order to reach its full potential and contribute positively to all aspects of the society.
GoSS Vice President Riek Machar said the youth is the engine of change and development and the government must sort out their problems from education, employment and health.
He added that without youth the SPLA would not have made it.
The research will be fully published within one month. Today, Population Council presented the Needs Assessment of Young People in Central Equatoria.