NAIROBI: Some 30 youth from Southern Africa have gathered in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, for the Southern African Regional Youth Forum (SARYF). The participants who are from Botswana, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and hosts Namibia will discuss challenges, opportunities and visions involved in youth development in Southern Africa. The forum, which opened Monday, is being hosted by Germany's Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) foundation in partnership with Namibia's National Youth Council. According to a media statement issued by the FES, “the main objectives of the forum include bringing together from different countries in Southern Africa, for the first time, past graduates of youth leadership development programs and youth involved in FES programs and the creating of a platform for sharing and networking.” The forum also aims “at offering an opportunity to strengthen and further experience leadership capacity within a totally different and new context while setting standards of international networking.” The SARYF is aimed at building on diverse experiences and bringing together people with diverse backgrounds from different cultural, social, economic and political backgrounds. The participants will also visit the University of Namibia (UNAM), the Namibia National Students Organization (NANSO), Heroes' Acre, the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC) and the Penduka Women Project in Katutura. The forum ends on Wednesday.
