Group trains South-East youths on community advocacy to curb violence

Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), a-youth led non-profit organisation that promotes good governance, has commenced the training of 70 youths in the South-East region of Nigeria.

The project, which is supported by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) with funding from Canadian Funds For Local Initiatives, is designed to spur youths in the region to participate in actions that promotes good governance, especially as it concerns electoral reforms in Nigeria.

The project, which is ongoing in the region
is also designed to empower young people to become active and involved citizens in their communities, as well as to bridge the divide between the elites and the masses.

14 participants at the Abia-leg of one-day community simulation plan (CASP) meeting, which was held in Aba, were selected from different Local Government Areas of the State.

Nonso Orakwe, executive director, CATYCOI, in his welcome address at the meeting, said that the organisation is poised to promote good governance and democracy, as well as look into policies of government to promote policy advocacy.

He stated that the vision of the organisation i”s to see young people to be leaders of today and not leaders of tomorrow”, noting that the one-day community action simulation meeting was organised to bring youths together to have a reinforcement in community engagement and some activities that people do, especially youths, over the years do not know about.

“This meeting was designed to equip youths to go into the society and be proactive. This training will also enable the youths to make the electoral system to work.

“So, part of the things we did in this meeting, was to spur the participants to get more angry to know what is happening within their locality, State and at the Federal levels and see possible ways to get involved and be proactive on issues.

This meeting according to the CATYCOI Executive Director, exposed the youths to becoming the next generation activists.

Isreal Orji, programmes manager, Catch Them Young Community Initiative, said that the event was necessary to grow the capacity of young people to have advocacy skills for issues that most concern them.

He said that the mandate is to train 70 youths across five South-East States. Consequently, 14 youths were selected in each of the States, to participate in the Simulation workshop.