Many thanks, Kadara Kursum I Dared to Say NO Co-ordinator
________________________________ From: Majid Alemi Junior <majidalemijun...@yahoo.com> To: westnilenet@kym.net Sent: Wednesday, 28 October, 2009 5:52:49 Subject: [WestNileNet] Re: Youth Unemployment & Drug Abuse in Westnile Region Dear. members, here are draft documents that I Adress to the President M7 & Vice President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya. both of them recieved it. now we all can share it. most members in this forum sent their input to me, before the vice president arived in vancouver. my organisation in which i am the president also was a part of the document i forwarded & handed personaly to the vice president. I just recieve a message that the president got his draf document. UMAIBC. documents are in my website. all included. UMAIBC. President, Majid Alemi Junior. 418 Main Street, Chinatown. P.o.Box 88073, Vancouver. BC, V6A 4A4 Western Canada. Website http://ugandan-muslims-association-in-bc.blogspot.com/2008/02/ugandan-muslims-association-in-bc_14.htm http://alemiamonye.blogspot.com/ email: uma...@gmail.com forwarded by majid alemi junior. a member. Youth Unemployment and Drug Abuse Youth unemployment and drug abuse has become a serious national problem that isn’t only affecting one district but all the districts in Uganda. Thousands of youth are dropping out of the school system particularly from the Elementary and Secondary Schools. Even many young men and women graduating from Universities and colleges cannot find jobs today. The future of any nation depends on how productive the youth become in adult life. The current trend of idle youth in Uganda is worrisome. It would be very important to address this problem at national level and come up with solutions to engage the youth in productive life. The root causes of idle youth in West Nile region are multi pronged. v Exceptional high school drop out ratios at Elementary and Secondary schools v Many youth have resorted to alcoholism and abuse of narcotic drugs like “Marungi” and “Bangi” to escape from frustration and depression. v Disco and Video Club businesses targeting the youth v Lack of parental control over youth v Lack of creative programs targeting youth v Lack of employment opportunities in the all the districts in West Nile region. There have been various arguments in favor and against growing Marungi. Those people who favor production of Marungi argue that it is a cash crop that allows some farmers in Aiivu and Maracha counties to earn income. Without a substitute crop, these farmers will be helpless. Alternative crops must be introduced before asking farmers to stop growing Marungi. Passing a legislation to ban production of Marungi without replacement will do more harm to farmers than good. People who argue against Marungi say that it is a classic narcotic drug which causes many young men who chew this crop to be idle. Marungi (Khat) is a highly addictive drug categorized as a stimulant that creates feelings of euphoria. Khat originates from the catha edulis shrub, which grows abundantly in parts of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Cathine, a Schedule IV drug, and Cathinone, a Schedule I drug, are khat’s two active ingredients (Marungi). Khat also affects the brain and spinal cord in similar way as amphetamines, which are simulated through synapses. Fat Fatigue is alleviated, appetite is reduced, attention span is decreased, and levels of alertness and motor activity are increased. Users can quickly develop a psychological dependency to the drug, which increases their confidence, friendliness, and contentment. Hallucinations, grandiose delusions, and paranoia have also been noted as side effects of using khat. The cathinone found in the drug affects the central nervous system, causing an excess amount of dopamine to be produced. High accumulation of dopamine in the brain can cause hallucinations, schizophrenia, and high blood pressure. Short term effects are Irritability and insomnia, mild euphoria and excitement, physical exhaustion, breathing difficulties, Constipation, Tachycardia or elevated heart rate, hallucinations, manic behavior and hyperactivity etc. Long term effects are Anorexia, Gastric disorders, depression high risk of heart disease and cancer of the mouth including liver damage and cardic complication. It also has addiction, Tolerance and withdrawal and has more psychological dependence to the drug even though it has no specific physical addiction. Marungi used to be imported by Somalis in USA, Canada and Europe. Chewing Marungi has been banned by the respective governments in the Western World. Marungi is classified as one of the addictive narcotic drugs. What is the solution to this problem? The Central government should initiate policy direction to address the problems of idle youth and allocate financial resources to the districts authorities to solve the problems of youth. Failing to address this problem will only result in increase in youth violence and crime rates in the urban centers where youth have no income. Local districts, NGO’s and churches can work together to create programs for: v Career counseling, Mentor/Role Modeling. v High School graduation or College & Degree Completion. v Alcoholism, Smoking & Substance Abuse Prevention. v Physical and mental health Counseling. v Conflict Resolution & Problem solving. v Crime & Violence Prevention. v Youth Activity Centers. v Youth Clubs/Associations. v Employment & skills Training. v Internship/Apprenticeship programs. v Prevention of pregnancy & early marriages Some creative recommendations on engaging youth in Productive Life v Hire and train young graduates with social science background as youth outreach workers (social workers). These graduates can train the older youth as team leaders employing the “Train the Trainer Model”. The graduates of the training program can become programs delivery agents in elementary and secondary schools, churches or other public community centers. This could be six months training spread over school holidays or six month intensive programs for out of school youth. v Promote sports activities after school, Boys Scouts and Girl Guides. After school tutoring programs. These are traditional programs around the world that have been used for centuries for occupying and engaging youth in productive life. v Researching & Publishing information about career opportunities. Reading materials are very scanty in Uganda. Public libraries are non existent in most urban areas. Newspapers hardly reach rural areas. Children are limited to information they get from their teachers. Publishing information in pamphlets or small booklets will give children the best opportunity to be well informed and make better career choices. v Teaching youth about the basic economics, commerce, health and social consequences of alcoholism, smoking and addictive drugs. v Training youth on problem solving, conflict resolution, Assertiveness, crime/violence prevention, leadership skills and taking Personal responsibility for their actions/decisions. Recruit and train out of school youth with Employable or business skills in: · Auto Body Mechanics & Painters. · Motorcycle or bicycle mechanics. · TV/Radio technicians and assemblers. · Computer hardware repair, database administration, programming, web * site development. * Carpentry, woodwork, metal fabricating, welders, etc * Hair saloon studios and Cosmetology. * Plumbing & Electrical wiring. * Tailoring & Fashion Design. * Theater and performing arts. * Restaurant and Hotel Cooks, servers, & bartenders. * Brickwork, Masonry, Building and Construction. * Small scale farm management skills. * Promote Youth apprentice/internship programs with local businesses. * Managing personal finance & budgeting skills. * Operating & managing a small business. * Teaching youth about the consequences of early marriages, pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS education and prevention. * Develop youth activity centers, youth clubs/associations either in Masjid/Mosque or Churches or local schools where youth can come together to debate on social issues affecting their generation, society or the nation. ________________________________ The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. 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