Youth Divisional Manager Speaks on Weaving as Endangered Skill
Fiji is a young country with about 70 per cent of the population below the age of 35. Therefore, it is of a strong belief that effective engagement of youths in the economy, society and the political sphere will stimulate growth and development.
Ministry of Youth and Sports divisional manager North Walter Matalau made the statements during the closing of the four days of screen painting and weaving short courses at the ministry’s Naleba Youth Training Centre at Labasa last Friday.
Mr Matalau said Government continued to ensure that education, employment and leadership opportunities were provided to young Fijians.
“Traditional skills such as weaving of mats is an endangered skill that needs strengthening,” Mr Matalau said.
“We must be grateful for the nonformal education with the Ministry of Youth and Sport as this allowed the participants to transfer the knowledge to other youth in their community.”
He said the training had been a commitment to ensuring young people were successful and achieving their goals in all avenues of entrepreneurship and income generating projects.
“We will be here to support and empower you as we believe that you should be able very soon to run your enterprise yourself without our assistance,” he said to the 24 graduates from the Blood Sisters Youth Club, Navakabula Vanua Youth Club, Raranibulubulu Youth club and Mataniwai Youth club. “Therefore, the Youth Training Centre Naleba has been on the forefront of such initiatives to train and equip the youth from the North.”
He hopes this would set a precedent for other young women to come and learn just as they have done.
“I know that what you have learned will be an anchor in your life journey; it will provide you opportunities to become self–employed, fully employed or become successful in your income generating projects, if you wish to pursue that pathway,” he said.
“The ministry has been working to ensure that it meets its mandate in the area of non-formal education and it is determined to help young people gain skills to contribute to the economy.”