Youth programmes praised at Obama’s ‘new Africa’ forum
Around 120 youths from all over Africa who attended a forum hosted by US President Barack Obama were impressed to hear what programmes Seychelles offers its young people.

 

Neddy Padayachy – who represented and gave a presentation about Seychelles at the recent White House forum – said this in an interview yesterday, adding that the US has similar programmes “which groom young people very early”.

The delegates, for example, said the Seychelles Young Leaders Programme – which he takes part in – is a very good one.
Mr Padayachy said he also gave a radio interview in Washington DC where the presenters asked him to talk about small island nations.

He said Mr Obama’s visions are similar in many ways to those of President James Michel.

“Mr Obama likes to meet young people and to exchange ideas with them because, like Mr Michel, he believes young people are the future of a nation,” said Mr Padayachy.

He quoted Mr Obama as saying: “The future of Africa depends on Africans themselves, and the US will stand by their side for future development.

“We may not always be able to build a bright future for the youth but we can build brighter youth for the future.”

Mr Padayachy said big efforts are being made to ensure young people launch a networking scheme, which he said has taken root and will yield a regional forum to be sponsored by the US through its embassy in Mauritius next year.

“We met African professionals who have beaten the odds and are now shining in areas in which many people in the US did not expect Africans to do so well,” he added.

“We were happy to see Mr Obama keep his promise to bring young people from Africa together in his vision of seeing them develop the continent further.”

 

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