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Acountry that does not invest in its youth is like a farmer expecting a harvest without planting or watering seeds. That farmer will have nothing to eat in the future. Many have prayed for days when the youth would advance towards the focal point of our society. And to a certain extent, they are drawing close.
For all the venting on this page about youth issues, it was interesting or encouraging last month when the Eswatini News described the budget as youth-focused because of the increased allocations to youth empowerment, including scholarships.
While the budget speech was delivered almost a whole month ago, the contents will last us for the next 12 months and possibly beyond, with most of the allocations kicking in from April. This, therefore, means a feature on the budget contents is still timely.
A report titled ‘Delivering for youth’: How government can put young people at the centre of the recovery shows that the direction Eswatini is taking regarding investing in the youth is right, because young people have been facing many challenges in the past.
It states that various indicators show that young people have been hit hard by the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 crisis and are expressing growing concerns about the long-term implications it may have on disposable income and future earnings,
I NFinance berg. mental health, education and employment outcomes, among others.
Therefore, investment in young people is critical now more than ever.
Locally, Eswatini News reported on the budget on February 25, 2023, with these words: “In what could be defined as a youth-focused budget, Rijkenberg announced an increase of the scholarship budget from E361 million allocated in the current financial year to E647 million.
‘‘The minister said the number of learners to benefit would increase from 2 500 to 3 500.” That in itself was a stride forward.
While many qualifying students are still struggling to get a scholarship, the 79.22 per cent increase in the scholarship facility cannot be ignored and is
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Our emotions have the potential to affect our behaviour and relationships
Self-awareness Neal LEARNERS
a statement of intent from the government that the youth is still a priority.
The minister of Finance said the budget of E85 million for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs was purely for auxiliary activities related to sport and the youth.
He said the allocation did not reflect the ‘government’s full commitment’ to empower the youth. He explained what he meant by saying, “If one considers this budget holistically, the E900 million increase in the wage bill is mainly for the youth; the E286 million increase in scholarship is 100 per cent for the youth; the E430 million increase in the education budget is 100 per cent for the youth and I can keep going.”
In previous articles, one has shared that it had been disappointing to read government statements only highlighting youth issues in a single sentence with co-workers. How we feel during or after a particular encounter, especially in challenging situations, can trigger an emotional response. The next time you face a challenge at work, pause.
REFLECT Manzini Central
Reflect on how you felt, and ask yourself, ‘why?’. All too often, we focus on
students who attended the 2023 Budget Speech
and heading on to more ‘serious’ issues in longer paragraphs. Reading about the Finance minister breaking down the government’s financial commitment and efforts at empowering youth was a zenith moment. It had become a cause for concern that the youth have often seen themselves as neglected and not a priority in development efforts.
This budget speech was a step in the right direction in pulling chairs for the youth to grab a seat at the development table of the nation and also play an active and impactful role in the country they live in.
INTERESTINGLY
Interestingly this also comes when this Cabinet team is in its final year. While it has had its fair share of criticism, one cannot ignore the highlights or good work they have done at times, including this.
And it is such impactful efforts the emotions we experience, but we need to dig deeper to understand why particular situations create emotional responses for us.
It could be due to past experiences or other people not respecting our values, for example.
The insight you gain through self-reflection will help you understand yourself directly aimed at the economic empowerment of communities and the youth that will make them leave a good legacy among the nation. The allocations, in the words of the minister, “are a true reflection of how this budget is focused on youth empowerment.”
In an open letter to the minister of sports, culture and youth affairs in 2022, one of the things I requested that would leave an indelible mark on his tenure as minister, was to somehow facilitate that all ministerial statements feature the word ‘youth’ in them. This would show that there can be no project or development in the country without explaining where the youth could be. A year later, that is still my biggest wish. It is merely words, but words turn to action, and that action brings in the youth. The budget speech reflects the government’s intent to start speaking on youth empowerment.
ARTICLES
In past articles, I have highlighted how development partners have come up with programmes centred around youth empowerment and each time, one wrote that it felt like the government needed to do more. However, the minister has highlighted the government’s efforts vividly. Now moving forward though, with everything said and done, there will be increased interest for the youth to see how all these projects roll out. There will be an interest to see if scholarship payments are not delayed and what plans are there for the fund to grow even more. There was a suggestion by MPs this week that companies must also come in to assist. A great suggestion because the demand is high and there are many qualifying students who also deserve the funding after their hard work for 12 years. But that is a discussion at another point. For today one commends the efforts to tangibly increase focus onto the youth and their empowerment by government
better, which is the cornerstone to peak performance and well-being.
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Psychologists agree that finding your ‘flow’ will help you push your abilities and develop skills to achieve more. There are five ways you can figure out what activities create flow for you.
Add more flow into your working life, and you’re more likely to tackle challenges effectively, mitigate emotional triggers and reach your potential because you have a positive and confident mindset.
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Our reactions to work situations can often be rooted in our emotions and subjective judgements.
A meeting that didn’t go as planned, an unexpected response to your great idea, or perhaps a colleague let you down.
When these things happen, we can be quick to react.
By taking time to consider what’s happening objectively, thinking about what might be behind the responses or actions of your colleagues, or even whether they are going through personal challenges, you may find that your negative emotional impulse and responses change. The next time you face a challenging situation with a colleague, challenge yourself to view the interaction from their perspective.
You may disagree with their point of view, but by training yourself to acknowledge alternative perspectives, you’re broadening your own perspective. For comments;