Annual Review Meeting for Youth Centers and Youth Friendly Integrated Service Center
With the objective of facilitating the exchange of new ideas, experiences and good practices amongst the staff of Youth Centers to enhance youth services and programs in the region, the 2-day Annual Review Meeting for the Youth Centers (YCs) and Youth Friendly Integrated Service Centers (YFISCs) has begun at the RAA Professional Development Center in Damphu, Tsirang today. Chaired by the Director General of the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, the meeting is designed to review the programs and services initiated by the YCs and YFISCs in 2019 and explore opportunities for further streamlining and strengthening them to cater to the emerging needs of young people in the country. The Managers and Admin. Assistants from 12 regional YCs and YFISCs (Changji ji YC, Kabesa YC, Khasadrapchu YC, Paro YC, Bajothang YC, Khuruthang YC, Mongar YC, Trashigang YC, Samdrup Jongkhar YFISC, Gelephu YFISC, Phuentsholing YFISC and Zhemgang YC) and YCD officials are in attendance for the meeting.
After the opening remarks by the Chairperson that focused on the objectives of the meeting as well as the importance of the Centers in general, the minutes of the 2018 Annual Review Meeting was reviewed to share the updates. While most of the decisions made during the meeting in 2018 have been implemented, a few major resolutions of the meeting especially relating to identifying and securing a permanent space for those Youth Centers housed in private apartments have not yet been implemented due to various challenges. It has been agreed that these issues would be once again taken up with the concerned Dzongkhag/Thromde Administrations to explore opportunities for resolving them.
In the next sessions, the Centers shared their key achievements, challenges faced while implementing their activities and their future plans for further enhancement of their Centers. It has been learned that while the Centers have taken numerous initiatives such as promoting reading programs amongst children/youth through engagement programs, capacity development of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) youth, youth enrichment programs and social services, they have also faced some challenges such as space constraints in some Centers, lack of adequate budget for youth programs, etc.
Tomorrow in the morning session, the participants shall be oriented on the revised DYS portal to enable them to use the additional features to record and submit their periodic reports. The portal has been updated to resolve the previously faced issues in the system and make it more comprehensive.
In the afternoon, the participants shall discuss the key challenges faced at the Centers and develop a way forward for further enhancing youth services and programs at the Centers. The new action plans for each Center shall be reviewed next year.
This meeting is part of the Youth Center Division’s approved Annual Work Plan 2019-2020 with RGoB.