GITEGA August 16th (ABP) – The Burundi Head of State, Mr. Évariste Ndayishimiye, called on Burundian youth to become a new generation in order to contribute substantially to making Burundi an emerging country. He delivered those words, in Gitega (central Burundi), during an interview he gave, on August 12, 2021, to representatives of young people from all over the country, on the occasion of the celebration of international youth day.
Mr. Ndayishimiye told them that they are an undeniable force for the development of Burundi, before adding that it relies a lot on them. “Therefore, we ask you to break with laziness, the wait-and-see attitude to public officials and irresponsibility leading to debauchery. Instead of such baseness, he argued,” we wish you to be innovative, zealous, enterprising, intelligent and visionaries of your own life and that of your nation “.
The Head of State reminded young people of certain development projects already initiated for them by his government, citing in particular the BIJE (Youth Investment Bank) and the PAEJE (Youth Economic Empowerment Program). “These institutions hold funds designed to finance projects under your cooperatives. We finance projects that are bankable and likely to generate employment for many people in order to get them out of unemployment,” he explained to them, before providing them with advice on sustainable development from the country.
He urged them to instill nationalism, to ensure the maintenance of political stability, to avoid falling into acts leading to bloodshed and the crumbling of the social fabric. He also forbade them to lend an attentive ear to teachers who speak tempting language to them to induce them into debauchery with the procession of misfortune that this causes, he said.
Before closing, he praised the partnership between United Nations agencies in Burundi and his government. He asked them to be ambassadors of Burundi to other donors to further engage Burundi on the path of development.
Previously, the representative of the United Nations agencies in Burundi had expressed her feelings of satisfaction to the Burundian government for its vision of leading young people on the path of development while promising that the above-mentioned agencies will remain alongside Burundi.