Sudanese participating in international youth camp in Uganda

In August, six Sudanese youths participated in an international youth camp in Masindi, Uganda, organised by East African Network in Sports & Development.

As part of the youth camp, an international conference was held 11 August 2009. Photo: NEESS.

‘Making the youth count’ was the theme for a youth camp organised by East African Network in Sports & Development and hosted by Recreation for Development and peace (RDP Uganda) in Masindi, Uganda 3-14 August 2009. Among the 70 participants from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Denmark, were six young Sudanese.

“We learned a lot,” Evalino Elias says. Together with a colleague, he represented the Network for Education Empowerment in South Sudan (NEESS) in the camp. In addition, two members of Community Empowerment Programme (CEP) in Lainya and two members of Morobo United Youth Association (MUYA) participated. The three organisations are all partners with MS Sudan.

The purpose of the youth camp is to foster unity, cooperation, cultural understanding and appreciation of diversities and the participants are also expected to share experiences and learn from each other. Among the topics discussed in the camp were the rights and obligations of youths in decision making, HIV/Aids, political processes, gender and job creation for youths.

The Sudanese participants were surprised to hear about the opportunities youths are faced with in other countries.

“We found that youths in Uganda are represented as high up as in the parliament. It surprised us that they take part in discussions on a level that we did not even think that youths could be involved in. We also found that in Southern Sudan, we are very much behind countries like Uganda and Kenya. Here, we look at politics as something for elders,” Evalino Elias says.

On International Youth Day 12 August, the participants of the youth camp took part in a parade in Masindi town. Photo: NEESS.