It’s that time of the year once again!! As a young woman or man, have you ever seen yourself taking charge in addressing issues of your country at the East African level? Well, the 5^th East African Youth Parliament (EAYP), also known as the Vijana Assembly, is here to give you that platform on the 14^th – 15^th of November 2022. EAYP is an invented regional policy advocacy space that brings cross-sector youth leaders to the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the East African Community (EAC) Headquarters annually in Arusha, Tanzania. It amplifies youth voices in high-level key decision-making spaces bridging national boundaries to allow cross-border advocacy, mobilisation and lobbying for young people-centred policies and seeking inclusion in democratic processes, service delivery and coordinated governance mechanisms, among other issues key to all youth across gender and all forms of their diversities.

This year, the Vijana Assembly is under the theme; “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages and Inclusion with descent livelihood amidst the threat of Climate Change in the post-pandemic era.” Cross-cutting issues integrating the theme discussion are gender inclusivity, diversity, human rights, peace and security. The 5^th EAYP seating is expected to have both online and physical young men and women participants. Young people between the ages 18-35 from youth and student council structures, civil society, entrepreneurs, political youth leagues, influencers, opinion leaders and cross-cutting sectors from the East African Region are to participate.

Direct invitations to apply to existing youth structures mentioned above have been made, but here is an opportunity for you to APPLY AS WELL; use the link here https://bit.ly/eacyouthparliament22. Please note it’s limited space; hence, only a few participants will be considered for online and only exceptional ones for physical participation, prioritising the structures and categories above.

Faraja Africa Foundation has organised this year’s sitting in partnership with the East African Legislative Assembly, European Union, Action Aid, Akina Mama Wa Africa, the Parliament of Uganda, East African Civil Society Forum, East African Youth Network, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Success Hands Tz, Tunaweza, Voice of Youth Tanzania, and other partners. The EAYP is about using the space for advocating for inclusive youth policies and amplifying voices in informing and influencing policy formulation in the East African Community and her partner states. Therefore, all our voices matter; let us use all available avenues on social media and other digital platforms to reach this goal alongside the physical presence.

EAYP Organizing Team

 

 

Faraja Africa Foundation conducted this year’s first regional Youth Parliament in Masaka district on June 20, 2022, at Muteesa 1 Royal University. The attendance of youth leaders in this region showed eagerness to fully participate in the motions that were to be debated on. All the regional Youth Parliaments were funded by the European Union and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under the German government.

The Youth Parliament couldn’t proceed without first electing a speaker. The nominees were Zahara Nalubyayi and Festo Kato. After a tight election process, Zahara emerged as the winner with a total of 35 votes defeating Festo Kato who garnered only 14 votes. With the Speaker elected, the house dived straight into its first motion which was “Urging the government to facilitate skills development for young people in order to solve the problem of unemployment.”

The motion caused a heated debate in the house because one of the major issues facing the youth in Uganda today is nothing other than unemployment. As stated by Festo Kato, “Over 40% to 60% of the youth in Uganda are unemployed.” Our education system focuses more on theoretical knowledge and when the youth finally graduate from university, they don’t have the confidence to apply the knowledge they acquired in school. That’s something that the government can look into so that young people can gain more practical skills while in school and be able to apply those skills in the workplace.

Some of the participants who gave in their submissions during the debate claimed that it’s not the government’s problem for the youth to be unemployed. They argued against the motion saying that it’s the youth’s sole responsibility to be job creators rather than job seekers. The youth shouldn’t wait for the government to give them jobs but should instead be proactive enough to use their creativity, talents, and skills to come up with business ideas that can enrich them.

However, other young people in the house supported the motion by saying that government should give them jobs because they pay taxes and the government should use that money to create jobs for them. They went further by saying that due to the current high costs of commodities in the country, the taxes to be paid have increased and yet most of them are still unemployed.

The big question from the youth to the government was, “Where does our money go?” Of course, some of the youth were complaining about how government officials simply use the citizens’ money to enrich themselves. A recent example that was given was the Ugx 40m that was given to Members of Parliament in an economy where the average Ugandan is crying of high commodity prices.

The debate showed how brilliant these young people are and also speaking matters from the heart. We believe that majority of the youth being unemployed in Uganda is part of the government’s responsibility because young people are the leaders of today and tomorrow and if they’re not provided with the necessary skills that can put them in positions of power and curb unemployment, then where is the Pearl of Africa heading to?

 

As secondary schools were opening up for the second term in early May this year, science teachers around Uganda went on strike deciding not to teach until when the government intervened and increased their salaries just like other scientists which had been the initial plan of the government. This put a lot of pressure on the government because it meant that students wouldn’t be studying and school operations would be disrupted.

To address their problem, His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni agreed to increase their salaries by 300% in the national budget 2022/23 and this will be effective starting July 2022. Having been promised the increment, the secondary science teachers who are graduates would be getting Ugx 4m per month but the government said that it would only afford to pay them Ugx 2.2m per month. The diploma science teachers would be getting Ugx 3m but the government said it could only afford to pay them Ugx 1.4m per month.

From the national budget 2022/23, Ugx 95 billion was allocated to the salary increment of science teachers excluding arts teachers. The salary increment angered arts teachers who blamed the government for being unfair and discriminatory. On June 14, barely a week after reading the national budget, The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu) called the budgetary decision a discriminatory policy that saw more than 100,000 secondary arts teachers going against the government’s decision.

The national chairperson of Unatu, Zadock Tumuhimbise, and the secretary-general Filbert Baguma had a meeting with the president on June 18 at State House but the two parties failed to reach a decision. The president insisted that he was going to first concentrate on the science teachers and the arts teachers would be sorted later on in the next financial year.

President Museveni urged the arts teachers to stop striking and go back to work which angered them the more. The President further instructed the Ministers of Education, Public service, and Finance to look into Unatu’s issue and find a way to handle the arts teachers’ salary push. In 2018, Unatu signed a collective bargaining agreement with the government which stated that all the salaries of teachers would be increased but when the government came up with an innovation strategy that would enhance the salaries of all scientists, science teachers also wanted to be included in that plan which left out the arts teachers.

Filbert Baguma said that the government has all the power to increase the salary of arts teachers and all it has to do is come up with a supplementary budget that caters for arts teachers as well because it would be unfair for an arts teacher teaching in the same secondary school with a science teacher who will be getting more salary than him at the end of the month.

Baguma argued that arts teachers have the same workload and operate in the same working environment as science teachers so it would be unfair for the government to discriminate against them. The country also needs arts people who can become politicians, economists and lawyers to mention but a few and they can also lead to the transformation of the country. Will the government hear the arts teachers’ plea and increase their salaries? That’s a topic that needs to be handled by the people at the top.

Katika kuelekeza nguvu kazi ya kutatua changamoto za vijana kwa njia ya uwasilishwaji wa hoja za kimantiki katika njia ya bunge, vijana kutoka Tanzania chini ya mradi wa Bunge la Vijana Afrika Mashariki siku ya leo tarehe 15^th Oktoba 2021, walikutana chou kikuu Dar es salaam na wengine kwa njia ya mtandao, hususani watu wa mkoani kam Geita, Kagera, Chato, Tanga, Simiyu , bukoba nk. Kumchagua spika wao wa Mkutano na makatibu wenye dhamana ya kuendesha mkutano na kukubaliana kwa maadhimio ya uwasilishwaji wa hoja kwa ajili ya matekelezo katika Bunge la Vijana Afrika Mashariki.

Mradi Huu, ukiwa Chini ya  Taasisi ya Faraja Africa Foundation wakishirikiana na Bunge la Afrika Mashariki na taasisi zisizozakiserikali kama success hands na Tunaweza. Mheshimiwa spika mteule wa mkutano huu aliyeshinda kwa kura 94% ni Mhe.Novatus Marandu akifwatiwa na naibu spika aliyeongoza kwa kura 87% Mhe. Khayman Yakuti.

Katika Mkutano huu,Hoja tatu zilijadiliwa na kufikiwa makubaliano ya kuwasilishwa katika Bunge la Vijana Afrika Mashariki mnamo tarehe 11-12 Oktoba 2021. Hoja zilizojadiliwa ni kama zifuatazo:

1. Hoja ya Azimio ya Vijana ya kuiomba serikali kuondoa sheria ya makato ya tozo za mialmala ya simu kwa kuwa si Rafiki kwa watu wakipato cha chini, vijana wa vyuo vikuu na wanaoishi vijijini.
2. Hoja ya Azimio la kuiomba serikali kushughulikia changamoto za unyanyasahi wa kijinsia wa nyumbani na ukatili wa kijinsia zinazowakabili Watoto, wasichana na wanawake katika wakati wa janga hili wa UVIKO-19.
3. Hoja ya kuiomba serikali kuunda benki ya maendeleo ya vijana kwa ajili ya kuwasaidia vijana ambao hawakopesheki na taasisi za kibenki na kupata mkopo wa riba nafuu.

Hoja hizi kwa ujumla wake, zilijadiliwa na mapendekezo yalitolewa katika mstakabadhi ya namna sahihi, changamoto za vijana katika ngazi hizo kuu tatu zinaweza kutatuliwa.

Pamoja na makubaliano yakimkakati yaliyojadiliwa katika siku hiyo nchini Tanzania ni Pamoja na;

1. Serikali kutengeneza mazingira Rafiki katika swala zima la kurepoti matendo ya unyanyasaji wa kijinsia hususani huongezeko la mda wa kazi mpaka masaa 24 kwenye dawati la jinsia.
2. Serikali kutengenza mazingira rafiki katika uombaji wa mkopo kwa vijana kutoka ngazi ya halmashauri mpaka ngazi ya kutengeneza kitengo cha benki ya maendeleo ya vijana.
3. Serikali kuangalia kwa jicho la tatu swala la elimu hususani yenye kukidhi mahitaji ya karne ya 21 kwa kuimairisha teknolojia na elimu.

Kama Taasisi, Faraja Africa Foundation Pamoja na wadau wamaendeleo tunaamini  katika Nguvu ya kijana kutatua changamoto zake mwenyewe kupitia Nyanja sahihi ya Uongozi uliowekwa kwa njia ya mazungumzo.

By Thekla Axel Schulte

Country Coordinator Tanzania

 

 

The East African Youth Parliament is a cross-border advocacy flagship program initiated by Faraja Africa Foundation in partnership with, European Union, Action Aid, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, the East African Legislative Assembly and other partners that started in 2018. It aims at having youth voices in the key decision-making processes, right from our national to regional legislative processes, inspiring a coordinated regional governance framework. The East African Youth Parliament not only offers an opportunity to unite the youth in the region but also build their capacity in leadership, policy, and cross-border advocacy. Most importantly give them a platform to engage with key policymakers; Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Heads of State towards making responsive youth/people-centred policies.  

OPEN CALL FOR 2 DAY PLENARY – EAST AFRICAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT 2021.

Today, the East African Youth Parliament not only offers an opportunity to unite the youth in the region but also build their capacity in leadership, policy, and cross-border advocacy. Most importantly give them a platform to engage with key policymakers; Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Heads of State towards making responsive youth/people-centred policies. This year, we have yet an opportunity on the 11^th -12^th November 2021 to convene the 4^th East African Youth Parliament at the East Africa Legislative Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania under the theme; “Youth at Crossroads: Quest for descent livelihood amidst the threat of Climate change and the COVID 19 Pandemic.” 

Over 100 young people will be selected to meet physically and 100 digitally deliberate on policy issues, push for ACDEG and social justice issues back in the charter to solve youth challenges directly engaging with the East African Legislative Assembly in the EAC. The two-day sitting will bring national youth councils, student councils, civil society leaders, regional parliaments, ministry reps from the region and EALA. Increasing the advocacy platform for meaningful advocacy, since resolutions and petitions out of the sitting inform discussions at EALA. 

Application Procedure

Check your eligibility – do you fulfil the following Prerequisite?

A young East African (female or male) between the age of 18 – 35 years as of December 31st 2021? Then;

1. Complete the application form CLICK HERE

2. Make a social media post on any social media platform of your choice with hashtags #EAYouthParliament21 

3. Follow East African Youth Parliament and Faraja Africa Foundation; Twitter – @FarajaAfricaFdn | Like Page on Facebook – Faraja Africa Foundation | Follow on Instagram – @farajaafricafdn| and on LinkedIn-Faraja Africa Foundation

(Mention or tag #EAYParliament #VijanaAssembly21 and @FarajaAfricaFdn in your post.

Deadline: 1st November 2021 at 11:59 pm EAT.

For more information and inquiries, email info@farajaafricafdn.org

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

CLICK HERE TO APPLY (LINK)

The Vijana Legislative Assembly-Tanzania is a platform that builds up to the East African Youth Parliament initiated by Faraja Africa Foundation. Vijana is a Swahili word to mean youth, and the assembly is aimed at fostering safe spaces for increased youth participation in parliamentary and legislative processes, civic and political affairs within the EAC partner states.

This is a call for participants in Tanzania to join in and be part of processes that contribute to the strengthening of participatory decision-making that enables pursuits for employment and increased access to empowering social services for the youth in Tanzania on the 15th October 2021. We are proud to partner with Voice of Youth Tanzania, Tunaweza and other partners.

The 2021 Vijana Legislative Assembly Sitting will engage 100 youth in leadership both physical (30) and (70) in Virtually all regions in Tanzania.

The Vijana Legislative Assembly aims at:

▪   Creating a safe and inclusive youth space for decision-making on democratic and political issues.

▪   Increase youth participation in policymaking, developing of youth-focused policies, and increasing youth civic engagement and advocacy.

▪   Draw the attention of key decision-makers to the issues pertinent to young people’s livelihood and affirmative Government funding to minimize the effects of the COVID pandemic on youth.

▪   Ensure follow-up on the progress and actions are taken on issues raised in the 1^st Vijana Legislative Assembly (2020) including an inbuilt accountability mechanism that ensures that issues of the young people have a result-driven focus as well.

1.     Develop strategies for enhancing the quality of youth engagements in political processes at all levels and improving youth development and mentoring opportunities for effective engagements in civic and political decision-making processes

ELIGIBILITY

1.     A Resident of Tanzania aged between 18-35years.

2.     A proven record of leadership and accomplishment in business, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, or public/government service.

3.     Demonstrated knowledge and interest in social justice issues affecting youth in Tanzania.

4. Understanding of the Focus and Goals of the Vijana Legislative Assembly of Tanzania Sitting.

5. Fully tested and are COVID19 free 24hrs to the event (for physical participants)

CLICK HERE TO APPLY (LINK)