Youngest Maldivian delegates: Need experience, opportunities lacking!

In the past, development projects in in Maldivian islands were seen to be run – from initiation to implementation by a few older individuals. All decisions were made by island chiefs or atoll chiefs who retained their positions for multiple consecutive terms.

This system of running things is now obsolete. Today, the population of the country is dominated by youths – who are deeply involved in social and economic affairs – both in the islands and at the national level.

The youth now play a huge role in decision making and implementation. This is evident from the ages of island and atoll councilors.

Though there are now youths working in key posts, the lack of opportunities for experience in such areas for youth is still found deeply lacking. This is something essential for youth empowerment, and therefore needs to be prioritized.

Proof of this is evident from the experience of the youngest member of the Maldivian delegation participating in the South Asian Youth Summit (SAYS) 2017, Mariyam Rifa alone.

19-year-old Rifa (Rifu) had never travel out of the country without a member of her family before. Everything was taken care of for her by one family member or the other.

Rifu therefore had to make multiple adjustments during her trip with dozens of delegates of different personalities from Maldives participating in SAYS. She, herself, accepts this.

Despite the multiple adjustments she had to make, Rifu believes the trip to participate in the Summit is an important milestone in her life. She has made multiple friends from the different countries participating in the Summit.

She has learned to co-exist with people of different religions, beliefs and personalities, and gained confidence. She has been certainly been proving this at the Summit.

Rifu said experiences such as her own personal experience at SAYS was important for every youth. She believes that learning to co-exist with people of different beliefs, in addition to work experience was important for a healthy and well-adjusted society.

This is also the first time for another young Maldivian delegate at SAYS, 21-year-old Aminath Wafa Waleed to participate in a youth summit held outside Maldives.

Wafa, who sent in her application in answer to a public announcement for youth interested in participating in SAYS by Regional Alliance for Fostering Youth (RAFY), believes her application was an important decision in becoming a leader in her chosen field of career.

She expressed concern over the insufficient number of such opportunities available to the youth, and the lack of availability of information regarding such opportunities.

“There may be youth programs. But many aren’t aware of such opportunities. Even if they know about it, such opportunities are often reserved for particular individuals,” said Wafa, a law student at Maldives National University.

Wafa said it was important for youths who are inexperienced and of humble backgrounds to be allowed opportunities in youth programs run by both government and NGOs. She said it would renew the hope of the youth and help them reach their full potential.

Fathimath Nasha, 21, who is doing her Degree in Office Management at MI College said thought some youths enjoyed opportunities to travel abroad and gain experience in various youth programs, such opportunities were not easily available to youths from middleclass or lower middleclass backgrounds.

She said it was because such opportunities are not sufficiently publicized, and reserved for particular individuals.

“The youth get opportunities. That’s what I believe. But the problem is there is no way of learning about such opportunities. The youth would not be aware if not for NGOs such as the RAFY NGO,” said Nasha, who had previously participated in a regional youth program held in Malaysia.

An active member of RAFY NGO, Fathimath Hanaau (Hannu) said opportunities for youth programs both in Maldives and abroad will help youths to learn how to deal with people of different personalities and deal with any problem that may arise on their own.

Hannu said that what the youth needed most was empowerment. She too said such opportunities were far few in Maldives.

She thanked RAFY NGO for its efforts in running such programs, and called out for NGOs to facilitate such programs.