Short description of the Youth Centre

The main objective of the Centre as to promote human development among the youth of Rundu district in the Kavango Region, focusing particularly on disadvantaged children and youth. The centre offers the following programmes and activities:

1. Leadership Courses The aim of such courses is to prepare the youth leaders to conduct seminars and other activities in the different youth groups scattered in Rundu Town, Rundu district and other major settlements at Kavango Region in order to link the different youth groups with the programmes of the Centre in Rundu in the line of the main objectives of the Centre. From 17 to 19 March 2006 a leadership course was held at the Centre for the youth from Rundu district with 50 participants. In the same month of March 2006 one day leadership courses were conducted in other places in Kavango Region as Andara, Nyangana, Shambyu and Bunya with an average participation of 17 young people.

2. Short Workshops and Courses At least once per week a short one afternoon workshop or a course on various topics such as human development, AIDS prevention, hygiene, alcohol and drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, gender equality, domestic violence etc. has been conducted by the Centre. The Centre has been also used by different organizations as Catholic Aids Action, Life Line/Child Line, RACE, TCE, etc. with their few days workshops and seminars on the above mentioned topics.

3. Educational Events Basic computer courses offered by the Centre in cooperation with Rundu Training Centre covered the number of 135 youth in the year 2006. From October 2006 the Centre in cooperation with Cleaner Training Centre started the courses for young people covering subjects as cooking, waitress, hygiene, Africans and English with 25 participants. The participants of the above mentioned courses receive the Government recognized certificates.

4. Planning Sessions The Centre in Rundu is the headquarters of Rundu District Youth Committee and the Regional Youth Council. A number of planning and evaluating sessions were held at the Centre towards preparation and conducting different events and youth festivals.

5. Youth Rallies The Rundu district Youth Rally was held from 23 to 26 April 2006 at the Centre in Rundu with about 250 participant. The Regional Youth Rally was held from 31August to 3 September 2006 at Shambyu with about 300 participants. The aim of these rallies was to promote moral values among the youth, launching a common programme, getting together with singing, dancing and sport competitions. Youth peaceful demonstration was organized in Rundu to promote abstention of sex among the youth on 26 November 2006. About 200 youth participated in this event from the youth groups from different Church denominations.

6. Construction of playgrounds The construction of the permanent playgrounds of netball, basketball and volleyball was completed in March 2006.

7. Recreational events The Centre provides spare time leisure activities such as sports ( four teams for netball, four teams for volleyball and two teams for basketball were formed at the Centre with competition activities), music, dances (modern and traditional), singing and drama.

8. Library A new set of books, magazines and brochures on various topics was provided to the library. The library is used at the Centre for reading and private studies.

The Youth Centre is becoming more popular and recognized not only by the youth but also by the civil authority of Kavango Region. The number of youth making use of the Centre constantly increases. Some members of Rundu Town Council and Kavango Regional Council have participated in the youth programmes at the Centre. The media (radio and National TV) conducts interviews with youth in the Centre and advertise different programmes. It is evident that among the youth attending the Centre the number of youth finding employment increases, those in schools have better results, almost no cases of teenage pregnancies. According to Government statistics the number of HIV infections has dramatically decreased in the Kavango Region.

Needs for further development

Lack of personnel
Since the local project officer is alone. He requires lay collaborators. However these full time lay collaborators expect some remuneration which we are not able to give.

Lack of transport
Many times there are outreach formation programmes from the centre for which we have to travel to the bush. It is not possible to do this without a suitable vehicle.

Lack of adequate infrastructure
A large hall where all the youth could gather for bigger programmes which are in the formation and recreation is hampering some desired activities at the centre.