The role of the Youth in society
Zambia is a country whose population is significantly youthful; the youth population (aged between 15 to 34 years) stands at 4,582,433, representing 35% of the total populace of 13,092,666. Youths face a lot of challenges; from high levels of unemployment and underemployment to lack of influence in major decision making critical for national development. The large numbers of young people are an opportunity; an investment. Youth participation in development strengthens young people’s abilities to meet their own subsistence needs; prevents and reduces vulnerabilities to economic, political and socially unstable environments; promotes ownership and sustainability of interventions; and helps gain entry into larger communities and builds up trust and social capital. Effective youth participation is about creating opportunities for young people to be involved in influencing, shaping, designing and contributing to policy and the development of services and programmes. These opportunities a