Youth practice bricklaying at a vocational center in Lemun Gaba - - credit | Chany Ninrew/Eye Radio | Nov. 4, 2021

A youth leader is calling on the government to avail resources for empowering South Sudanese youth with skills to enable them to compete in the regional job market.

Johnson Poru Hilary – the chairperson of Yei River County Youth Association – said there is need to equip young people with knowledge and skills that will enable them to lead healthy, engaged, and productive lives.

Poru also appeals to the government to open more vocational training centers and provide scholarship opportunities to the youth.

Speaking on Eye Radio’s Dawn Show on Monday, he said this will allow South Sudanese youth to compete in the East African region.

“I just want to urge the government to put resources, the resources we have to support youth projects so that we can compete with the rest of the East Africa Community, because we can definitely be suppressed because they will come here with innovation, we need to protect our domestic market,” Poru said.

“I just want to urge the government to really make this commitment so that we can benefit from the opportunities. There are also scholarship opportunities within the EAC and also there are outside opportunities.”

Young people in South Sudan make up an estimated 72% of the population but face numerous challenges that limit their access to education and livelihoods opportunities.