SALGA Youth Day Celebration (10 Years of Amsterdam Commemoration)

Posted: 24 June 2024

South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in partnership with Mkhondo Local Municipality celebrated Youth Day in Amsterdam, on the 20th of June 2024. The Youth Day celebration forms part of the 10 Years of Amsterdam Small Town Regeneration (STR) Programme, an initiative by SALGA aimed at the regeneration, restoration, and fulfilling of the economic potential of underperforming small towns. The program embraces the significance of small towns and their role in a larger hierarchy of settlements.

The Youth Day Celebration was held under the theme "Youth Empowerment, skill development, entrepreneurship, and Job Creation" aimed to:

• Offer students and unemployed youth the opportunity to have insight into the different career opportunities available,
• Interact with various avenues of employment and
• Create a platform for young people to interact with various stakeholders for funding opportunities.

"Let us use this event to network, and establish relations that will assist our young people to move forward and realise their dreams. Let us join hands and build and empower the community of Amsterdam. Let us join hands, to fight poverty and unemployment", said Cllr. Water Mngomezulu who is the SALGA Deputy Chairperson in Mpumalanga. Mr. Mxolisi Mchunu, Specialist: Economic Development at SALGA, also highlighted the SALGA Small Town Regeneration Programme and the achievements of the program in Amsterdam.

The Youth Day Celebration aimed to highlight the importance of empowering the youth through education, employment opportunities, and active participation in shaping the nation's future and also emphasize the significance of education as a tool for personal development, societal progress, and economic growth, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth.

Various presentations were received from the Department of Social Development; Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development; National Youth Development Agency (NYDA); Gert Sibande TVET College and Safcol. Various stakeholders also participated in the SALGA Youth Day event, sharing information and opportunities that are available within their organisations.