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Inclusive Youths: Ingredients for Developing Countries Youths account for 1.8 billion of the 7.8 billion of the world’s population according to the United Nations Population Fund(UNPF) and Worldometer.  Further, according to the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social affairs states, 19 percent of the global youth population lives in Africa. The rapid growth of youths globally signals the rife of opportunities, innovations, ideas, inventions as well the need to carter and make adjustments to care for the youthful congregations, without stifling their ambitions and dreams. Although there is consequential positivity of the large presence of youths in the world, they face challenges and problematic knots especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Asian regions. They are plagued with unemployment, poor educational systems, poor transfer of skills as well as economic, environmental, and political stagnation. Yet, despite these noxious and horrid conditions, youths have taken up the mandate to shatter and break boundaries, their resilience, and doggedness shining through. Youths whose resilience have shone through and are making an impact across the globe include Patrick Ngowi from Tanzania who is the founder and chairman of Helvetic Group of companies, a renewable energy company: Lorna Rutto from Kenya, the founder of Ecopost that specialize in collecting and recycling the waste in plastic into aesthetic durable and environmentally friendly fencing posts; Tayo Sadique from Nigeria of AirSynQ is a starter firm that specializes in using Balloon Satellite and intelligent software for automated assessment of surveillance feeds; Tere Gonzalez from Mexico, the President of liter of light Mexico, whose purpose is to use plastic soda bottles to generate electricity; Boyan Slat an Environmentalist undertaking the largest ocean clean-up in the world; Abigail Lupi, the founder of CareGirlZ caring for the elderly and a host of others. These Youths and many more see hope and solutions despite problems and Are determined despite encounters with reasons to be discouraged, nonetheless, they persevere.  Despite the growing stream of daring youths, there is still the need to steer other youths to awareness, into what their spirits, in togetherness can create and change. There is the urgent need to fire the youths to take up important roles, however small, to birth ripples of change in the world, and to make lasting differences. Youth Up is a body that is committed to realizing the vision of providing the necessary skillsets for youths that are ready to make a change, irrespective of educational, ethical, and gender specifications. The body’s focus is premised on its founders, Faith Nwaobia and Awa k. Ndukwe words; “Humanity is to be lifted and youths are like the rising sun, hope for tomorrow’s daylight”. They have taken up the task to make youths irrespective of their financial, ethical, religious, social as well as educational background matter, to uplift them to greatness. The organization also encourages Youths to look beyond the present challenges and focus on the common good, Ubuntu, the spirit of togetherness and familyhood, promoting the belief that one’s person positively accomplished feat is like a ripple, it affects all. Written by Deborah Oluwafisayo Faboade Content Writer

Youths as the Bridge to the Future According to the United Nations report, the proportion of young people not in employment, education or training has remained stubbornly high over the past 15 years and now stands at 30% for young women and 13% for young men worldwide. In the year 2019, the Nigerian leader, President Muhammad Buhari was quoted by the Premium Times Nigeria saying, “more than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil-producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, health care, education free”. His assertion was met with counterarguments especially on the incompetence of the government to provide for the so-called 60 percent of the population with basic social amenities. As a country with more than 60 percent of her population as youths, the opportunities of growth, positivity, creativity, strength, innovations, and ideas abounds yet they are plagued with stereotypic assertions of childishness, carelessness, and recklessness. Where they are taught right and provided with the right resources and basic social amenities, they help strengthen the continuation of relevant past rules as well as promote germane conventions that are appropriate for the present social issues in their communities. They build on laid down foundations, and in situations wherein the foundations are shaky, for example, in developing countries, they build the foundations. They through their connections with the present problems of their societies provide and proffer solutions to difficulties, hence driving the fore of change as well as development in their countries. They are the future, they are relevant to the present, they are resilient and intelligent to drive social reforms and social revolutions in society. But as the UN has mentioned, the numbers of youths not employed, or lacks access to proper as well as not seen the four walls of a school have remained stubbornly high. When these claims are properly investigated, it becomes clear that inadequacies, restrictive laws and policies, access to proper training instructive platforms which mostly expensive, and nepotism have at large, killed the sparks and snuffed out the vibrant energy of the youths. They are threatened and encaged in fear of the unknown instead of being taught they that they have the zeal to transform the unknown, which is shrouded in uncertainties to the known, that is molded by their creativities. Many have suggested solutions they believe can get the youths back on track. Some have suggested giving equal opportunities to all youths, while some have criticized such a solution as a romanticized idea that all youths are equally qualified to have access to equal opportunities like those in developed countries. However, Youth Up organization is a youth-oriented body that believes in equal opportunities for all by helping to strategically push boundaries through its mentorship and partnership programs, employment programs, youth advocacy campaign among others to ensure that in the spirit of togetherness, the growth, development, and freedom of countries are left in the hands of capable youths. Written by Deborah Oluwafisayo Faboade Content Writer