A three-day Seventh Day Adventist church conference seeking to build the capacity of local youth ended in South Sudan’s Aweil State with calls for the creating of more job opportunities for the young people.
Speaking at the closing of the event Sunday, Pastor Majok Wal Mawein of the Seventh Day Adventist church in Aweil state said the program was initiated to empower the youth to enable them be productive, peace agents and become good leaders in the future.
“Actually one may thank God for the opportunity to explain what happened in Aweil. This came from the Seventh Day Adventist Church office in Greater Bahr el Ghazal region to build the capacity of the youth,” said Mawien.
He, however, told participants that similar conferences would take place in all Greater Bahr el Ghazal territories to ensure that all youth are included in development, peace and nation building efforts.
The church, the pastor stated, recommends the establishment of more youth development projects to assist young people, while urging government and humanitarian agencies to help find immediate solutions to issues facing the youth.
Akon Daniel Marach, a participant, said she learnt how to cope with living conditions through self-confidence and wise decision making.
“I understood if you have confidence in yourself, you will do many things. For example, if you are given a task, you will accomplish it successfully without looking for support from others,” she said.
Lino Achien Anei, another participant, said the conference will change the lives of many youths from bad behaviors and conflict escalation.
He urged all youth to embark on education, trade and agriculture.
Cited as the main challenges affecting today’s youth were rampant unemployment, school dropouts, cattle raids and barbaric activities.
Over 100 church leaders, youth, women, civil society organization representatives and intellectuals attended the three-day seminar.