JANUARY– MARCH 2020 Issue 12 ABOUT THE NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION The National Youth Commission (NAYCOM) was established by the Government of Sierra Leone through the National Youth Commission Act No.11, of 2009. It was signed into law by H.E. The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma on 22nd December 2009 and published in the Supplement of the Sierra Leone Gazette Vol. CXLL No.3 dated 7th January, 2010. The Commission is a body corporate with the object of empowering the youth to develop their potential, creativity and skills for national development and for other related matters. VISION: Youth situated at the centre of the country’s transformation with developed potential, creativity and skills that contrib- utes to national development. MISSION: reating safe spaces for young To Increase the Productive Capacity of our Youth for Enhanced Participation in Development and Governance at people to engage and develop National, District and Community levels by adopting the following functions: C themselves is critical to youth Promote Youth Creativity, Potential and Skills for National Development; empowerment. “Safe spaces for youth” Create of Employment opportunities for the Youth and Develop medium and long term strategies; are built on the premise that for youth to Initiate Youth Development Programs in collaboration with relevant governmental and non-governmental bodies; thrive, we must put them in the driver’s Develop National Youth Development Plan consistent with Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP); Provide Youth Skills Training Programs and schemes in collaboration with governmental or non-governmental seat and ensure they have the tools to bodies; succeed. In all of this, a physical space Provide a focal point for addressing drug abuse by the youth and its related problems is also very important. Therefore in OVERSIGHT April 2019, the National Youth Commission with funding support from The Ministry responsible for youth provides policy oversight and support for the Commission. The Ministry spearheads Youth unemployment still remains a major the development of appropriate policies and programmes that will enhance and promote Youth Employment activities GIZ handed over three youth centers to challenge for youth in Sierra Leone. Recent nationwide. It provides support and oversight for the National Youth Commission. contractors for renovation. statistics show that about 80% of the country’s population is below 35 years. This has become a growing concern with what can be seen as an increase in the intake of drugs by some youth. The National Youth Commission with the mandate to develop programmes that will build the potential, creativity and skills of young people has been implementing various programmes that are geared towards youth empowerment and employment. This however, does not seem to crack the nut on the head. Whilst it continues this drive, the Commission in January 2020 signed a ‘Service Contract’ with Compagnie Sahélienned National Stadium Swimming Pool 'Entreprises CSE construction company at their Brookfields, Freetown camp site in Zimmi Makpele Chiefdom, Pujehun Tel: 232-76-606419 / 232-76-660-640 email: [email protected] district for the training of 1,540 youth in road construction skills along the EU funded Website: www.nationalyouthcommission.sl Facebook: National Youth Commission Sierra Leone Bandajuma- Liberia Roads Project through the Twitter: National Youth Commission Sierra Leone National Authorizing Office (NAO). Sierra Leone might be losing on untapped skilled human resources page 10 page 1 as the primary asset of many countries, an inadequately educated workforce is still among the most problematic factors for doing business in many countries in Asia and the Pacific. However, the Government of Sierra Leone in 2019 received a credit of $20m from the World Bank toward the cost of the Sierra Leone Skills Development Project. The project supports the Government’s overall human capital development agenda through skills upgrading. The project funding also allows the establishment of a Skills Development Fund. The Skills Development Fund is an initiative embedded in Sierra Leone’s economic development strategy, which emphasizes that the country’s capacity to increase labor productivity depends on its ability to develop skills of its workers and improve the overall level of education of its citizens. As we wait to see the impact of this on the human development capital especially in a country whose youth population is about 40% The guest speaker Millicent Kargbo, Communications Officer of of the entire country we are safe to say that Sierra Leone is yet to un the National Youth Commission, applauded pupils of the Elite Millicent Kargbo -tap it’s more resourceful human capital that will contribute Innovation Club for the great initiative. She said the youth sector Communications Officer immensely to its overall per capita income. wants to see more productive youth that will support the development drive of the government. The Untapped Human Resource A group of pupils from the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress have Mrs. Kargbo noted that the homes play a critical role in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is launched the first innovation club “Elite Innovation” hosted in the development of a child into a productive person. She said viewed as a tool for productivity enhancement and poverty school facility. The vision started almost a year before the launch “sometimes parents underestimate the capacities of their children” reduction in a country. There could be a strong link between the Our Team when three of these boys now heading the ‘inno club’ came up with an architectural design of their school buildings using cards. and in some cases even kill the talents of their children because, proportion of TVET students and per capita income of that country. there’s more prestige in being a lawyer, banker or doctor, than In order to get to that end, many countries have taken steps to EDITOR IN CHIEF Fortunately, the pupils got in touch with the National Youth being a skills person. She noted that the country’s development strengthen policy guidance and regulatory frameworks for technical Thomas Ngolo Katta Commission that was preparing to exhibit innovation talents at the depends on a productive youth force which plays a key role in and vocational education and training and to improve partnerships usual Chamber of Commerce exhibition held every April at the developing the middle manpower. with private sector and employers. EDITOR National Stadium. These boys were given the first shot to showcase Whereas many countries especially in Africa are ahead with such Millicent Kargbo their prototype as the Commission invited key stakeholders from the policies and regulatory frameworks, Sierra Leone has recently in Directorate of Science Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and a host of others. This was also widely covered by the media. 2018 developed a ‘National Technical Vocational Education and WRITERS After the exhibition the boys took back their prototype and were set Training Policy.’ The overall goal of this policy is to support Millicent Kargbo “Employment and Training of Sierra Leoneans”, which the Junisa Koroma (Intern) ablaze to keep on cracking their heads to come up with more government believes will lessen the gap between private sector’s prototypes. Almost a year later, the boys had established a whole demand for skills and the skills that the Sierra Leone TVET system team in their school including six girls who also designed amazing GUEST WRITERS prototypes. According to the president of the club, Mohamed supplies. Therewith reducing poverty and underemployment. Mariama Kai Fornah Kamara, the vison is to ‘have a great team that will provide solution There seem to be more work for the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education as it tries to regularize its TVET standard with DESIGN/LAYOUT to the problems in the country through technology.’ other countries in the world. As it develops a National Qualification David Johnson The team called Elite Innovators Club, did a presentation of their Framework that will harmonize training curriculum across the work which included a hydroelectric system, locomotive robots, country that will fit into international standards, there remains a modern house, excavator machines, different architectural designs PHOTOGRAPHY and many more. Being a science school, the school authorities boast huge challenge in the skills sector. However, we need to note the Yayah Totangi differences between developed and less developed countries in of having “the best resources— equipment and teachers” to develop terms of their first priorities regarding TVET. The first group of the young minds of the pupils to be creative. The Principal Alhaji countries emphasize quality improvement, monitoring and Mohamed Bangura said, the club did not come as a surprise, and evaluation of TVET, the availability of national development plans, they are poised to fully support these pupils as they continue to make them proud. He said “the country needs to move away from that but the second group of countries focus on the cost of enrolment and implementation of TVET. theoretical teaching pattern to more effective and hands on teaching.” page 9 page 2 Continuation from front page 50 Acres for Youth Demonstration Farm in Mokoibondo TVET Youth Profile day. ‘I am very happy for this move I made, I see a brighter future He said the L19 rice seed brand which was cultivated is one of the ahead where I can even provide employment for others.’ best and it is normally harvested between 4-5 months after planning. However, the jingles have not only been beneficial to Nelson alone, He noted that such seeds can be cultivated at least twice a year, but the training manager at SLOIC in Mattru Jong Sharka Kawa because the country’s irrigation system is not developed, that cannot revealed that the ongoing media campaign has immensely happen. contributed to the huge turnout of young men and women to his The commission has now been approached by some youth groups center.