BCD YOUTH FORUM WORKSHOP

Botswana Council for the Disabled recently held its inaugural youth forum at Botho University. The youth forum is another platform that BCD has created to reach out to another sector of the population of people with disabilities and develop appropriate and sector specific interventions. Young people are at critical stage of their development, and while going through the process of understanding their environment and making meaningful interpretation of an array of issues from physiological changes to social expectations and emotional and psychological effects which come as a result of all that is taking place around them. The youth of today are growing in a global society, which is highly dependent of fast moving information through advancement of technology. Social media influencers across the globe can reach a young person in Botswana and change their perceptions and understanding of the world. All this development are great, however there is need for censorship and education on what is right and wrong, and consequences of unrestrictive participation in everything that may be posted online.

All these challenges also affect young people with disabilities. Technology in most instances has been a life saver to people with disabilities. Assistive technology has transformed the landscape for many young people with disabilities and allowed them to have access to education, health care, to fully participate in their communities and gain long term employment opportunities. All these was achieved through advancement in technology. BCD youth forum aims to explore all these advancement in technology, access to education and employment, personal growth and development issues that young people with disabilities experience and battle with on daily basis, and many other issues which affect young people with disabilities. Do we provide our young people with life skills which will empower them to make informed decisions and right choices when it comes to dating and matters of sexuality?

Through the youth forums, BCD will train youth leaders in different tracks, and they will lead engagements on those tracks. Youth leaders will be classified in tracks such as human rights and advocacy, sports participation and leadership, climate change and mitigation, Health promotion, entrepreneurship and civic engagement and leadership.

All young persons between the ages of 14 and 24 who wish to participate in the youth forum you can contact BCD PR office on the following contacts numbers: 3973599 cell: 72 894 216 email: pubrelations@bcd.org.bw