HKYDA PLAYING PIVOTAL ROLE IN ADDRESSING YOUTH BULGE

By Lethisa KOLOKOL

The Hiri Koairi District Youth Development Association (HKDYDA); a registered non-profit organization owned and led by the youths of Hiri Koiari District; Central Province has played a pivotal role in the addressing the issues of youth bulge in the district.

A member of the Interim Executive Committee, who wishes to remain anonymous confirmed that the association’s resource mobilisation for youths in the Hiri Koiari District began in November last year where a group of young like-minded leaders come together in September to start weekly brainstorming sessions about how to help youths and how they can give back opportunities to the less fortunate youths in the Hiri Koiari district.

She confirmed that the association will hold a meeting on 29th January, at Ariava, Barakau.

She explained that theses types of meetings will continue to bring youths in the district together to identify what youth resources they have and how they can work together to create development pathways through partnerships.
“We started in 2024 festive period using the awareness of abuse of alcohol and drug abuse to attract attention of our youths” said the HKYDA spokesperson.

She acknowledged the support of Member for Hiri Koiari District, Hon. Keith Iduhu and we look forward to working with his office to addressing the youth bulge in the district and the country as a whole.
She adds that the next phase will be to provide an alternative to better living to the youths in the abuse of alcohol and drug.

The HKDYDA was established with the aim of mobilizing and connecting the youths across Hiri Koiari’s Local Level Government areas – Hiri (East and West), Vanapa Brown and Koiari LLGs.

The Association believes in public and private partnership and are working with National Youth Development Authority, Central Provincial Government Community development team, Hiri Koiari District, NGOs and other government agencies focused on youth.

The association targets as per the National Youth Policy (13-38yrs) and has managed to secure a number of partnerships so far.