Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah has promised government commitment to nurturing children’s talent as a way to keep them off criminal behavior.
Oulanyah was chief guest during the Art in Me Festival at the Uganda Museum, an annual event held to promote school children’s talent.
“Our responsibility as government is to raise you so that you can see far, wake the talent in you and keep you away from crime and all things that will bring you down and we will do whatever is required to make you achieve your dreams,” said Oulanyah.
The children’s talent, said Oulanyah, is their unique advantage that they should carefully tend to for a better future.
“The whole of your childhood…use it for self discovery to identify what God has given you to achieve the purpose for which you live,” said Oulanyah.
Oulanyah said the organizers should extend the program to accommodate rural schools and uplift children who do not have the same abundance of opportunity.
According to the State of Uganda Population report 2012, the country has the youngest population in the world.
With 77 per cent of the population below 30 years comes the challenge of unemployment that fuels crime.
Oulanyah said with support to youth talent, the propensity to use crime as a fall back position to unemployment would be kept under check.
Julius Ssekajja, Team Leader and organizer of the festival the event has helped in talent identification for now four years since its inception, saying his team remains committed to helping the youngsters use their talent profitably.
