- WHO Representative
- UNICEF Representative
- UNFPA Representative
- IPPF Representative
- All Officials from
- Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and all Stakeholders Here Present
- Our Dear Young People
- Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
We gather today to celebrate the lives of young people. We can no longer leave the youths behind. We can no longer push young people to the margins of our development efforts.
We gather today to make young people count. This is why I am delighted to join you today and I feel honoured to be amidst courageous young people who are geared to advocate for fellow youths in Africa.
I bring to you special greetings from Malawi, and warm greetings from the African First Ladies under the Organization of Africa First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA).
OUR Youth, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to assure you that as African First Ladies, as your mothers, we have resolved to provide more support to you. We have resolved to show more care to you. We have agreed to carry you and embrace you and give you more space to harness your potential.
As OAFLA, we made this resolution at our recent Annual General Assembly held in January this year at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. I wish to emphasize that our eyes are now focused on you, the youths. Our minds are now set on harnessing the demographic dividend. We are committed to put young people at the centre of all our development efforts.
Our Youth, Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen,
this two-day Youth Pre-Conference Forum is the right platform for young people to be heard. This is the platform for making voices of young people to count. This pre-conference is an opportunity for developing strategies on improving the health of young people. It is a great moment to support several scientific research designed to embrace new technologies and methods for addressing health challenges facing the Youth and all members of society in our various countries.
Our Youth, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am also pleased to note that this Youth Pre-Conference is designed to foster and encourage innovative solutions to respond to the significant challenges of our Youth. Allow me therefore to encourage young people to venture more into practical innovations that will lead to break-throughs in addressing health challenges.
Many young people today are using social media for various purposes. Social Media can help to fast-track communication of important messages for addressing certain health challenges. Let me therefore urge young people to use social media responsibly.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
we have a collective responsibility to empower the youths and support team to become active participants in health and development. We no longer have the luxury of time. For a long time, we have sidelined young people, and we have not given them enough space to unleash their potential. Now is the time to take action around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the benefit of our young people.
As we are aware that atleast 10 out of the 17 SDGs relate directly to the youth and their development, the global development agenda is therefore tilted in favour of the youths. We therefore have no excuse to put the youths at the centre of our national development agenda.
We must prioritize education for young people. Now is the time to prioritize the health of our youths. This is the time to provide meaningful economic empowerment to the youths. Young people need jobs, they deserve meaningful employment opportunities.
Most importantly, young people need to be counted and involved in decision making processes. The youths are an integral part of our governance and democratization process. Nothing for us without us. Nothing for youths without the youths. Nothing for poor people without the poor people.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
before I conclude, I wish to commend the work that the AMREF Health Africa is doing across the African continent. A few weeks ago in January, I had the opportunity to meet with Officials from AMREF in Addis Ababa. That meeting has helped to deeper the partnership between AMREF and OAFLA.
Let me also thank you Dr. Githinji Gitahi for making AMREF a strategic partner of OAFLA. I wish to assure you that the African First Ladies deeply appreciate this partnership. On behalf of fellow African First Ladies we are reaffirming our commitment to put our young people first through this partnership.
Our Youth, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlement
I am pleased to learn that the theme for this conference is “Towards Healthier Africa: People Systems and Innovations”. The theme is self-explanatory Ladies and Gentlemen. Engagement and involvement of young people in an effort to empower them. Let me take this opportunity to thank AMREF and the UN family for providing the support for this forum, you have made a mark on young people in Africa.
Our Youth, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
the year 2017 is the year of hope that our young people will be supported fully at country level as we move on with the SDGs. OAFLA is truly committed to supporting our young people in realizing their dreams. To you our young people …, the world is waiting for your actions, your peers are waiting for your efforts.
Our Youth, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
As I close let me quote one of my favourite authors Margaret Mead who once said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”, end of quote. Our young people “If you ever think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in a room with a mosquito!”
I wish you successful deliberations as you discuss important issues affecting your lives and also how to improve on health and development. It is now my singular honour to declare the Youth Pre-Conference Forum on the Health Agenda International 2017 Conference officially open.
May God bless us all,
I thank you for your support.