KATHMANDU, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday called on the Nepalese youths to engage self in post-quake reconstruction of the country.
Addressing a ceremony on the occasion of the International Youth Day, Bhandari said youths are the pillars of nation building and should be mobilized in rebuilding Nepal after a devastating earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and left more than a half million homeless last year.
"We need a separate roadmap and solid programs that focus on youths as they have a bigger responsibility of contributing in nation building. They can only meet the target of poverty alleviation and Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," she said.
The global theme for International Youth Day this year is "The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption."
Appreciating the role of youths in transformation of the society, the first female president of the country, said that more job opportunities should be created at home to stop capable manpower from working abroad.
"We need to provide more trainings, capacity building skills and generate employment opportunities within the country to mobilize youths in reconstruction, production and other activities," the president said.
Her remarks came at a time when nearly 1,500 Nepalese youths leave the country every day, especially to the Gulf and Middle East, in search of foreign employment.
She also advocated the implementation of youth-friendly policies and utilization of existing resources to enable the vibrant youths to contribute for peace, prosperity and development of this under-developed nation.
According to the ministry of Youth and Sports, Nepalese youths constitute 40.3 percent of the total population. The National Youth Policy states that any Nepali citizen aged between 16 to 40 years are called youths.
On the occasion, the Nepal government honored 10 youths for their remarkable contribution to the society and country. To commemorate the day, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Youth Council organized various programs such as rallies, blood donation camps and youth assemblies.
