“The deadline has been extended on requests by many enthusiasts who contacted us,” informed Ajay Kumar Uprety, program officer, Yuwa.[break]
YALC -- a collaborative effort of Yuwa and Advocates for Youth, an American not-for-profit youth organization -- has called on youth aged between 16 and 24 to apply.
The program, which the organizers call a ‘movement’, is basically divided into three phases. The first phase will see the selection of the top 25 applicants. In the second phase, these applicants will be called in for an orientation session which will last a whole day and is slated for February 13. This will be an interactive session from which the organizers will decide on the top 10 places and the finalists will be selected.
The council, comprising 10 young members, will serve as youth educators, advocates and spokespersons on the issue of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The program basically focuses on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, family planning and HIV/AIDS.
“We have received an overwhelming response,” said Uprety, adding, “Most applicants are young college-goers.”
The encouraging response is due mainly to the hush-hush topic selected by the organizers.
“Our initial expectations have been proven wrong,” Uprety said, “while we expected around 50 applicants in all, they have reached the mark of 70 already.”
Reasoning behind the decision to conduct the program, he said, “We are facilitating the International Youth Speak Out’s project on advocacy on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS which has been launched in many countries,” adding, “This program is basically focused on how we can make youth voices on reproductive health heard at the policy-making level.”
Elaborating the functions of the selected candidates, he informed that they will be performing mainly three tasks: First, awareness-raising among the students; second, advocacy on reproductive health rights; and finally, making efforts for international solidarity.
These council members will perform under the combined direction of International Youth Speak Out (IYSO) project of Advocates for Youth and YUWA.
The council members will organize events, utilize media outlets, develop educational workshops and lobby policy makers at the national and international fora on the importance of responding to national and global HIV/AIDS and supporting national and international efforts at family planning.
Also, these members will have regular meetings every month at Yuwa’s office and two selected members will get the opportunity to participate in ‘One World Young Summit’ in March in Washington and two more members will get the opportunity to attend annual Urban Retreat in September in Washington.
Apart from Kathmandu, the organizers are also calling on youth from Pokhara and Biratnagar to compete for the event.
For further information visit www.yuva.org.np or email at info@yuwa.org.np. You can also call 01-4487743
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