By Busein Samilu
A section of youths under their umbrella body of the Uganda Youth Coalition for Sustainable Development Goals (UYC-SDGs) has honored the Housing Finance Bank (HFB) for its continuous support towards helping youths realise the 17 SDGs.
During the stakeholders’ engagement that was held in Kampala, the UYC-SDGs leaders led by their president Mr. Joshua Musinguzi said that HFB has demonstrated outstanding commitment and dedication towards empowering them in their pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Musinguzi said that the bank has done this by offering unwavering support, mentorship and collaborative initiatives to the youths.
“The bank plays a pivotal role in equipping the young generation with the tools, knowledge and resources required to contribute significantly to the advancement of the SDGs. Your visionary efforts exemplify the essence of positive change and inspire us all to work collectively for a more sustainable and inclusive future,” he said.
The engagement aimed at formulating their 2022-2027 strategic plan which the youths will follow to attain their set goals in SDG realization.
Musinguzi thanked the management of HFB for its commitment and pledged to continuously work together with them.
According to Musinguzi, the intended UYC-SDGs strategic plan is aimed at bringing together different youths clusters including; youth leaders, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, cultural leaders, and media practitioners to ensure that a guiding document is finalized to help Uganda especially youths in implementing the SDGs as the country brace for the midterm review.
Speaking at the same meeting, Mr Kansime Onezimas the Senior Program Officer of Knowledge Management at the SDG secretariat in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said that they are already engaging young people in different processes.
“We are ensuring that young people are fully involved in the voluntary national review at the high-level political forum which will be held next year so that we have a young people’s voice as we talk about the implementation of SDGs at the global level. We want them to be on board to ensure that they are fully engaged in activities that affect them so that we have a youth voice and their needs are well followed up,” he said.
The young people’s role, he said, is to be fully and meaningfully engaged in the implementation of the SDGs.
“Young people will continue to be more intentional in making sure that there is social inclusion, economic growth and environmental sustainability in communities where they are,” he said.
