By Bida Elly David
The authorities of the city and the quarter councils have showed commitment to support young people in residential areas through economic empowerment on business and capacity building to mitigate crimes caused due to idleness.
This development came during a campaign on community police awareness of young people against drug abuse and Alcoholism being one the common practices in the city by young people.
The campaign was aimed at preventing youth from consuming toxic drugs that may passively influence their physiological and mental health as well as the role of the community police in protecting children and youth from criminal activities in the city.
The campaign was organized at Hai Seminary in Juba by the South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) and funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In June, Juba City Council in collaboration with the Central Equatoria State government and the security forces made integrated efforts to conduct zone to zone search and research on areas of security and peace. Upon the finding, the data showed that majority of young people have been involved in criminal activities due to idleness and drug effects.
The institutions held series of meetings with their leaders to point out the impeding factors that made young people not to focus and came out with recommendations through which youth could be helped to avoid committing crimes of all kinds.
Speaking during the event, Michael Ladu Allah-Jabu, the city council mayor said that engaging the youth through capacity building such as trainings and establishment of business enterprises would reduce idleness and crimes they commit in residential areas.
He has called on the community heads of all zones to counsel them in various ways so that crimes of all kinds and random organization of groups could be avoided.
“We are ready to jointly work with the quarter Council to coordinate all the activities in residential areas to support youth through economic empowerment such as business and other skills that will keep them busy and save them from idleness. It is our mandate to ensure that we work towards transforming young people to acquire better skills so that they become committed to reduce crimes,” he said.
He urged young people to refrain from criminal activities and focus in things that would benefit their future and their families as well as the community at large and by this, the Country shall be a better place for all the citizens and all the neighbors.