Youth request government for business startup loans

South Sudanese youth are requesting the transitional unity government to approve the release of loans from the youth fund so that they can start up small businesses.

Alaak Andrew Dau, the program manager for Youth Education Initiate, said the loans when disbursed will help some of the youth to establish enterprises in the fields of agriculture and food security and fisheries.

“We do not have resources to venture into fields like agriculture and fish industry. This could be made possible through the support of the government, we need to tap into the enterprise fund for the youth,” Dau said in an interview on Saturday during celebration of International Youth Day at the University of Juba.

 “Our country has a lot of resources and they need to be utilized, we want the government to create employment,” he added.

Peter Baptist Abaker, the undersecretary for the national ministry of youth and sports, said young people are the drivers of change.

He disclosed the government and partners are working to support youth with skills to establish businesses.

“We are trying to reflect on the plight of young people and their needs and capitalize on their potential because they are the majority and drivers of change,” Abaker said.

International Youth Day is celebrated annually on August 12.

This year’s theme focused on developing clean environment with emphasis on the role of young people as catalyst of transformation.